Afraid of the Light
by When the Moon Met the Sun
Summary: Sequel to Senses of Darkness. The Vestals invaded New Vestroia, and the Bakugan are left defenseless. Nicole is reluctantly pulled into a web of deceit. When you can only find yourself in the dark, do you know what's worth fighting for?
1. Prologue

_**Thanks to much prompting (and help) from so many of you, I've gotten around to starting the sequel to Senses of Darkness. I'm not sure how it'll turn out, but I hope you'll be along for the ride!**_

_**Disclaimer: Cocoacharm15 does not own Bakugan. It belongs to TM Entertainment.**_

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Afraid of the Light

_Prologue_

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Time is an abstract word for Bakugan.

For us, there is no need, no reason, to worry about something as trivial as time. Or rather, there _wasn't_.

At first, we didn't bother with it. Time was a concept introduced, _stressed_, by the events that brought our world to the brink of destruction. Naga's immature attempt for total control thrust us into a human world where there was never enough time. A place where we knew time was running out.

Then New Vestroia came around.

Time lapsed back into an irrelevant word. Granted, we knew it's meaning, in one sense, but that didn't matter. All that we were concerned about was that day turned to night and night turned to day in an endless cycle.

It was in this fashion that "time" passed for me and for most other Bakugan, I'm sure. We didn't keep track of how much of it had gone by.

A mistake.

I should've seen it coming.

The invasion.

I should've fought harder.

Imprisonment.

I should have…I could have…I would have…

True regret.

Why didn't I, you ask?

Self-interestedness. Selfishness. Egocentricity. _Stupidity_. Call it what you may.

You know what?

Hindsight's a bitch.

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Well, any thoughts so far? Oh, and I dare you to guess who's point of view this is! Before I forget, thank you to everyone who has helped me out: AccessBlade, Serenade of Water, Centralion, FALLING-ANGEL24, and so many others!

_**Review!**_


	2. Chapter One

_**Well, I daresay that although it's been a month since I last updated, it doesn't seem like that long.**_

_***hides under desk* Don't kill me!**_

_**I really hope this turns out to your liking.**_

_**Disclaimer: CC15 doesn't own Bakugan. If she did, you'd have to wait a month for a new episode!**_

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Chapter One

Zora's POV

I shivered as I slipped into the lake silently, the cold water soaking right through my folded wings and rippling against my dark skin. The morning was still gloomy, quiet against the loud thoughts racing in my head. They all rushed through at breakneck pace, and I tried to focus on swimming to distract myself from them.

Now, obviously, someone as great and powerful as me could have flown over the lake and wouldn't have had to get a single feather wet. Lately, though, I found myself doing everything within my power to stay incognito, and that involved getting the hell away from my usual location without anyone noticing.

With a sigh, I quickly crossed the lake and jumped out of the water, stretching myself across a nearby boulder and extending my wings behind me to dry. I closed my eyes and breathed in deeply, trying to get in touch with my "inner self." It some sort of meditation crap that was spreading among the Bakugan like wild fire.

Bakugan have fads, too, you know.

The horizon grew lighter behind me, and I winced as the light reached my sensitive eyes. I'd have to migrate again soon, unless I wanted someone finding me, but I stayed still. Moments alone always made me feel at peace. It was times like this that I didn't regret saving Vestroia and Earth.

Yes, sometimes I did regret it, although those were few and far between.

Becoming a hero had given me more publicity than I had ever wanted. Sure, it was flattering and my ego tripled in size, but it got old. I was a loner by nature—cynical, some called me—and I suppose that's what prompted me to stay hidden. Sometimes I even went as far as to act humble, just for privacy's sake.

I chuckled wryly under my breath. Nicole would have done anything to see that small, insignificant part of me. My thoughts changed direction abruptly, and I wondered idly what she was up to. That school-thing that humans did? Or maybe she was missing me?

A tiny voice inside my head sarcastically answered that it was I who missed her.

I told it to stuff it.

I sat up, leaning back on my hands. The rocky landscape stretched as far as I could see, but the lake glistened brightly, framed by leafy shrubs and cool grasses. It was an oasis for the desert dwellers. I began to make out the faint forms of my shadow and decided immediately I had to move on.

A bush rustled nearby. I stiffened, obstinately hoping that whoever it was moved on. In fact, if I made a break for it now, I could probably outrun or outfly whoever happened to be approaching. A menacing-looking tail with a sharpened point popped up from the dense brush, and I stifled a groan, carefully hiding behind the giant rock. Not this again.

I pressed my back against the rock, hoping against hope that I would become a part of it and she wouldn't notice I was here anymore.

It became silent for awhile, and I let out a breath, figuring she'd finally gone, and climbed back onto the boulder to check.

"Hiya, ma'am!" she greeted from the base of the rock, looking up adoringly at me, while I mentally gagged.

"You again," I muttered dryly, changing my mental scene into one where I slammed my head against a wall.

She didn't seem to catch on, the scorpion tail suspended above her head relaxed and rested on her long silver hair, a shade darker than mine. She was a Darkus Bakugan, like me, but that's where the similarities stopped.

Her skin was a dark violet color, stretching across her humanoid torso. Mauve wings sprouted from her back, although, as far as I knew, she didn't or couldn't fly. At first, the only thing that seemed out of place was the tail…that is, until you looked down.

The lower half was scaly and legless. Instead, coils wound around themselves in a purple mass, ending in a threatening snake, which was currently flicking its tongue in and out, beady eyes examining me. A black band extended across the waist, a circle in the middle, almost like a human's belt.

This Bakugan was a one of the most…diverse creations I'd ever seen. There was so much to see, so much raw peril exuding from her appearance. Her face, though, gave away a different story. Her eyes sparkled a forest green, and her lips formed a giant smile, the epitome of friendliness.

"Look…what was your name again?" I asked, resisting the urge to fly away. No matter how many times I ditched her, she always managed to find me.

"Azumi, ma'am," she responded quickly, no hint of hurt in her voice.

"Stop calling me that," I snapped, jumping off and walking away. "The name is Zora, Twilight Zora to you."

"Yes, Oh Great One." She slithered along behind me.

This routine had started almost from Day One of New Vestroia. Azumi found me by the lake and proceeded to gush about how amazing I was. The next day it happened the same way, and so on and so forth. It amazed me how she never was irritated in the least with my short responses to her questions or with the acidic tone I used for her.

"Ma'am?" she began tentatively and I increased my pace, no particular destination in mind.

"What?"

"Would Your Superiority prefer it if I called you Empress Zora?" Her eyes were downcast, and I felt a little sorry for her. Despite her appearance, Azumi didn't have an assertive bone in her body. She was too timid for her own good.

"Fine, call me Empress Zora," I conceded, smirking at the sound of it.

I continued my brutal pace, trying to think of some excuse to get her to leave, when I noticed how eerily empty the terrain was. Normally, Bakugan were everywhere, sparring or just enjoying each other's company. Today, everything seemed off. Even Azumi was unusually quiet, not chatting my ear off about how glorious it must be to be me.

Then I felt it.

A wave of energy electrified the air, energy that wasn't even remotely similar to that of a Bakugan or the core, for that matter. It was so familiar. The tingly sensation increased, and I realized with dread what it reminded me of.

Earth.

A distant hum caught my ear. Azumi turned, looking out to the west. That wasn't the sound of any Bakugan I'd ever heard, and the ground shook with the intensity.

Just on the horizon, a contraption of some sort plowed forward, tentacle-like arms flailing wildly. The horrified screams of my Bakugan brethren echoed across New Vestroia.

"Run!" I shouted, taking flight and jetting in the opposite direction. The tingling increased as the machine approached, and I found it progressively more difficult to stay in the air.

Azumi struggled to keep up with me on land, but I was half expecting her to give up instead of fighting them.

"Empress Zora!" she called out and I turned to see the machine sinking into the ground. The pulse in the air strengthened, and I felt sick as I was suddenly forced into a spherical shape.

This could not be happening again. I crashed to the ground, pushing myself forward the entire time. Azumi's frightened sobs cut through the whirring of gears.

"Move!" I screamed at her.

I risked a glance back, regretting it immediately. A dark disc hovered above the desert, sucking up every spherical Bakugan within its reach.

Quickly assessing the situation, I spotted a clump of rocks a few feet away. All I had to do was get to them, and I might be able to escape from whoever was capturing us.

The hum drew closer, and I pushed myself harder.

Almost there. I saw a gap in between the rocks where I could fit and save myself.

The machine was almost on me, and I roughly shoved Azumi forward without thinking, causing her to roll into my safeguard.

Damn it! That was not a part of the plan. By shoving her, I was placed right in the middle of the disc's path, and regardless of my best efforts, I floated helplessly toward the opening. I joined the few Bakugan piled up in a clear cylinder, the holding chamber. They fell silent upon seeing me enter.

I didn't need them to speak to realize the irony of the situation. I'm the Bakugan that defeated Naga, and yet I'm one of the first to be captured.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" a childish voice teased from above, picking me up drawing me close to his pupil-less eyes. His tongue dangled out of his mouth, and I squirmed in his grip.

"You're Twilight Zora, huh?" He turned me from side to side. "If this is all the fight you have, I'm not impressed."

"Bite me," I snarled, to which he smirked.

"A feisty one, aren't you? The Prince will be happy to have captured you, then," he sneered, laughing maniacally when I flapped my wings feebly.

"Shadow, quit talking to the prisoners!" a woman barked. "Knowing you, you'll probably lose you grip and let her escape. Prince Hydron will have both our heads if this one gets away."

He sighed theatrically. "Fine, fine. Hope you like your new home Zora…" He tossed me into the container, but not before I managed to hear his last few words.

"…because it's the last one you'll ever have." He laughed again, only to be smacked by the blue-haired woman.

I sighed, knowing full well that Vestroia was in trouble again. This time, though, I wasn't there to save it. This time, I needed to be saved.

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Oh no, Zora's been captured. What will become of New Vestroia?! Review, so I feel obligated to update and that way you can find out!

_**Cocoacharm15**_


	3. Chapter Two

_**I can't believe that it took me this long to write this D: I feel so disappointed in myself. Well, I hope you guys enjoy it…**_

_**Disclaimer: If I owned Bakugan, it'd take a month for a new episode, so it's probably a good thing that I don't. Own it, that is.**_

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Chapter 2

Nicole's POV

_August 1__st_

The calendar jeered at me, the date blinking over and over in my mind like a neon sign. The innocent picture suspended above the month, one of golden lab puppies, didn't serve to lighten my mood. If anything, it drove the point home.

Dogs were loyal. Always. Their owner's were their life, and they'd stand beside them till the bitter end. I closed my eyes, and a sad sigh escaped my lips.

If only friends could be counted on to be the same way. It's too bad that humans are so self-interested, looking out for themselves and taking opportunities that help them and them alone. Right and wrong don't matter as long as you get your way. Anyone stupid enough to get in your path will be annihilated, disregarded, as if they were never worth it.

I took a chance and looked over at the framed picture on my nightstand. An eleven year old version of me grinned toothily, my arm hooked around his. James smiled just as broadly, his blonde fringe falling into those soft green eyes. I felt the tears pool in my eyes, and I hastily rubbed them away.

I didn't have time to cry right now. I had to make it to the cemetery before the gates closed. I had to buy flowers. I had to tell him what I'd been up to. After that was done, maybe I'd give myself a chance to cry.

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The grass twirled with the summer breeze, and it blew through the empty cemetery with a melancholy whisper. A grave tombstone stretched in the morning light, its face blank. Moss licked at the edges, trying to leave its mark on the cool stone. I guess we all wanted to do the same, to be remembered and live on forever.

"Well, James, has anything changed?" I asked lightly, taking a seat in front of the rock. I settled a bunch of tulips in front of it.

It was tradition, in a creepy way, to come here on his birthday, to spend the day recounting everything I'd been during the past year. I avoided coming to the cemetery at all costs every other day of the year. Some days I felt indebted to James, and at other times I hated him. It was safer to pick one day alone.

That's not to say I didn't think about him.

I did.

All the time.

I began telling my stories in a falsely cheerful voice. "You'll never guess what my parents did."

I paused, taking a breath to compose myself. "They thought that the only way to prove I wasn't afraid of flying anymore was to have me skydive." I laughed a little, remembering how horrified I'd been at the news. I'd gone through with it, just to show I could, and it was one of the best decisions I'd ever made.

Sure, I almost fainted from sheer terror at first, but it brought back good memories of Zora, making it all worth it.

"Zora," I sighed, wishing that merely saying her name didn't make tears prick behind my eyes. "You remember her, right?"

A bird chirped behind me, and I took that as a yes. "Of course, you do. Zora was the best thing to ever happen to us. I had a dream about her the other night. It was a blend of the last moments we shared. I remember exactly what she told me, the kindest words I pulled from her. " The bird fell silent. "Yeah, I know, sometimes I think it didn't even happen."

I didn't mention the nausea I felt upon waking. I waved my hand at this, figuratively pushing the memory away. "Still, I'm sure she's elated in New Vestroia. She can take care of herself, after all."

I forced a grin and moved on to more mundane news. "I grew my hair out, so it almost reaches my waist. You told me once that I would look different like that. I do, a little bit…well, not really."

I swore I heard him laugh at this, and I smiled genuinely. I knew what his next question would have been.

"_What about skirts?" _he would've taunted.

I answered it out loud. "No way, I am never wearing one of those. I'd rather go skydiving again." To emphasize this, I smoothed down my jeans. The rest of the conversation drifted between the utterly boring and the somewhat interesting.

I stood up to leave when I noticed the sun's orange glow on the horizon. I stretched to get some feeling back into my legs, and a sudden wave of nausea crashed over me. I leaned against his tombstone for support. My eyes shut as I waited for it to pass.

Something was wrong.

For a moment, when I blinked and only saw black, I though my ability was somehow coming back, but then the episode quickly faded away. My power couldn't be returning; all traces of it had been taken along with the core.

I examined the bright green foliage and the jubilant animals scurrying along. None of them seemed particularly agitated or panicked, like they would be if the balance of the universe was thrown off. Drago had returned everything back to normal, and that's how it would stay.

"It's nothing," I told myself, though my voice didn't sound convincing.

I drew a shaky breath, brushing my bangs out of my face. Whatever had happened—if anything at all—I only hoped Zora was alright.

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I reached my house, which was far too elaborate for my taste. It was needlessly large, empty half the time, and cold. It didn't resemble a home, it was merely shelter. I was lonely, so often, even with countless maids and butlers waiting on me. My parents didn't get that a home should exude warmth, not impose formality.

I escaped from my prison as frequently as I could, but it wasn't enough. Nostalgia gripped me every time I walked into my bedroom and I saw the picture of the Battle Brawlers. Those were the most dangerous times I'd lived through, but the constant adrenaline rush was preferable to feeling empty inside.

The latest computer model sat neatly in my room, my only connection to those I loved. Nearly everyday I received messages from my old friends and they brightened life for me considerably. I flipped it on, but crushing disappointment filled me when I realized it was empty.

Apprehension began pooling inside me. It wasn't strange since I'd talked to most of the Brawlers within the last week. All except one.

Shun.

I hadn't heard from him recently, and it worried me more than it should have. He was known to disappear every once in a while, and I understood that, but like in the cemetery I felt that everything wasn't as it should be.

Then there was the fact that I had developed a tiny crush on the stoic boy. Tiny, almost microscopic really, but it was there. Try as I might to put it out of its misery, it wouldn't die. I didn't want to like Shun in that way, anyone, but not him. It wouldn't work out, and I didn't need to see the future to know that.

The beginnings of a headache crept into my temples. I paced in front of my bed, feeling jittery all of a sudden. I couldn't manage to shake the unease, despite being aware that I was perfectly safe. A soft knock sounded at my door, and I jumped with an ill-concealed shriek.

"Are you alright, Miss?" Marie asked, worried, and I nodded sharply. Her motherly gaze scrutinized me, and I insisted I was fine. "Do you wish to come down to dinner?"

"I'm not hungry, Marie. Than

ks, though." She strayed at my door a second longer before turning and descending the stairs. I smiled at her accepting personality.

I peered out the window, a star faintly noticeable in the sky. I watched as more and more stars appeared in the dark sky, vainly wishing to be one of them. They had it easy.

Hours passed, but I refused to sleep. The nagging restlessness kept my eyes from shutting until it was well past midnight. Only then did I drift into an impatient sleep.

"_**New Vestroia is in danger once again, Drago," a voice warned. A single orb floated in the center, and the power emanating from it reverberated through the beings surrounding it. The orb shook with the intensity of its power as a separate entity emerged from it. A red dragon.**_

I shot out of my bed, gasping for breath and clutching my head. My breath came in short gasps, and tears rolled freely down my cheeks.

"No," I whispered. "_No_."

I stumbled out of bed, sobbing. "Why is this happening again?" I cried, fear taking hold of rational thought. I dashed out of the house, running in any direction I could. I didn't want the responsibility of the core again. I didn't want to see the future.

I collapsed in a heap on the hard ground, and I vaguely noticed an intense light shining above me. Before I realized what was happening, I was falling and then blackout.

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Confused yet? Maybe, maybe not.

_**No need to worry, though, because all the questions you've ever had will be answered in due time. Well, hopefully.**_

_**Leave a review please!**_

_**Cocoacharm15**_


	4. Chapter Three

_**Yes, it is done! Months of waiting have led to this, this wonderful chapter.**_

_**I suppose an apology is due–I'm sooooo sorry–and my New Years resolution is to update faster. I'll make it happen!**_

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Chapter 3

**Nicole's POV**

I awoke to the sound of hiccupping sobs which seemed abnormally loud in the absolute silence. Groaning, I sat up slowly, feeling dizzy and disoriented. Blinking my eyes into focus, I noticed the stillness of the landscape, the total lack of life. I had no clue where I was, but I did have enough sense to know something was off.

And then there was those persistent girlish sobs in the background. I could have just walked away, but being the idiot that I tend to be, I stood up and breathed in the fresh, invigorating air deeply before I brushed the dirt off my jeans and took a few steps in the direction of the cries. I hadn't gone very far when I realized that there was literally no one around. The sound appeared to be coming from the ground itself, which was completely preposterous. On Earth, the ground doesn't make people sounds.

The only other explanation was that I wasn't on Earth at all, but as I gazed at my surroundings, I didn't notice anything particularly out of place. The sand at my feet felt like regular old sand as I let it slide through my fingers, and the rocks I was headed toward seemed very realistic from a distance. I could make out the outline of some sort of forest in the distance, an oasis.

So, no, I couldn't be on any other planet...

...only that didn't explain what I was doing in the middle of the desert when I'd been in a leafy environment only moments before.

It had been _moments_ ago, right?

The sun was high in the sky, so it was probably around noon.

But what exactly had I been doing before I got here? And more importantly, _how_ did I get here?

My head started to spin, and I made my way over to the rocks to take a seat. I rubbed them experimentally and found that they were indeed actual rocks. The sobs seemed louder and more heartbroken now.

"Hello?" I asked tentatively.

The wails continued for a minute more, but ever so gradually, they began to quiet down. No one revealed themselves like I'd half-expected, so I just waited. The sun beat down, though I was surprised to find that it wasn't unbearably hot, only pleasantly warm. The wind blew softly–serving to remind me of a certain Ventus Brawler with a blush–and it seemed as if it were whispering to me, only it wasn't. There was a tiny voice carried on it.

I craned my neck to hear it better, but instead of hearing it again, I caught sight of a tiny sphere at me feet. A purple ball so reminiscent of _her_. I felt foolish tears begin to prick my eyes. I bent down to pick it up, and the Bakugan gave a startled gasp.

"P-please release me," she demanded ineffectively, her high-pitched voice quivering.

Cradling her in my palm, I stroked her soothingly. "It's okay. I won't hurt you."

She whimpered, her form shaking slightly. I wondered why she was so shy when all the other Bakugan I'd ever met were completely confident in themselves. And along those lines, I was at a loss as to how I was holding a Bakugan right now, when we'd seen them all return to Vestroia upon Naga's defeat.

"Please open up," I implored, in hopes of getting some answers.

"I'm a-afraid," she admitted, peeking out of her curled up form slightly. "Do you promise not to hurt me?"

"Yes, I promise."

Hesitantly, the Bakugan expanded itself until small wings and a tail extended from her body. I examined her shape, not being able to decipher anything about her abilities or what she was exactly, except that she was Darkus, my element. As far as I could tell, she was also scrutinizing me, almost as if she'd never seen something like me.

My thoughts were confirmed when she whispered, "What are you?"

"Um, a person?" I replied, unsure if this was the answer she was looking for.

She gasped again, and suddenly she was in my face. "A _human_? Does that mean you're from Earth and that you know about us Bakugan?"

"Uh, yeah."

"A human," she repeated incredulously. "Like the ones that saved Vestroia from destruction! I've heard all the stories about how Bakugan and humans were able to join forces to defeat Naga, and now I'm meeting one!"

I raised an eyebrow at that. So we were famous _and_ all of a sudden she wasn't shy anymore? This day just kept getting weirder. She settled back into my open hand.

"Excuse me, miss, but may I ask how a human ended up on New Vestroia?"

I shrugged. "That's what I'd like to know." I paused. "So this is New Vestroia, huh?"

I took in the general mood permeating the area. It seemed so like Earth, except a lot more peaceful and empty. I didn't think the Bakugan would still be in spheres, though. I'd thought that they'd be able to roam freely in their natural forms. Where were they all then? Was it just this little one or would I be able to find Zora if I looked hard enough?

She jumped up and down excitedly on my hand, noticing the thoughtful look on my face, before settling down and explaining in a somber tone, "Miss, everything is wrong. After Naga was defeated, the peaceful Bakugan returned to New Vestroia to relax and unwind for a bit. We were having the time of our lives ... until _they_ came. This beacon-thing came and changed us back into balls when we used to be free. Then they collected them all and...and...and...."

"And what?" I asked alarmed.

"_They took The Master!" _she shouted shrilly, near tears again.

That last sentence confused me. What master? Did the Bakugan have a ruler of some sort that lead them all? Or was that just Baku-slang for _my homeskillet biscuit_, as we earthlings would say?

"Um, okay. Who is 'The Master?'"

"She's the Master," she replied as if it were obvious.

I decided to let the matter drop, since she didn't seem too inclined to explain. What did interest me, however, was that the Bakugan were free at some point and that they'd been changed back.

"What do you mean by _collected_?"

"They took them, Miss! Every other Bakugan was sucked up into this huge machine, except me. The Master pushed me to safety, but she was taken." If she were full size, I could just imagine the way she would be trembling and how her eyes would be glassy.

"So the other Bakugan were captured against their will?" I summarized, feeling sick. That means I wouldn't find Zora. She'd been captured most probably, and if I knew her, she'd fought tooth and nail against it.

I stood up, gazing out at the landscape and feeling anger bubbling inside me. How could anyone waltz in here like they owned the place and strip away the Bakugan's freedom? We'd fought so hard for it. I risked my life for their cause, and now this!

"Miss?" she called quietly.

"Who would do this?" I whispered, more to myself than to her.

"I-I don't know, but they left me all alone," she whimpered.

I thought about that for a minute. I was alone, too. It's not like I could contact someone for help, and I didn't know the area either. All I had were the clothes on my back. "I could help you," I offered. "I'll help you find your Master, and we'll find out who did this."

"P-partners?" She floated up to eye level.

"Partners." I assured her confidently. "But what's your name?"

"Miss, my name is Azumi," she said softly. "What may I call you?"

I was about to say Nicole, but I realized she'd most likely faint or die–hey, it was possible–if she knew I'd helped save her home.

"Nickyla. Call me Nickyla."

"Okay!" I heard a grin in her innocent voice, and I knew I was going to like her right away. It felt strange, though, to understand that I was going to have another partner. A nicer, less sarcastic, all around friendlier Bakugan partner. This was sure going to be different, but different was good, right? Azumi would help me find Zora, and together we'd rescue her and all the other Bakugan. We could do this, I thought naively, walking toward the rapidly descending sun.

I walked with confidence, something I'm sure Zora would have been proud of, but I would soon learn the hard way that confidence is never enough.

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I hope this wasn't too disappointing, but I have something amazing–I think it's amazing–planned for the next chapter, so stay tuned! Oh, and drop me a line...review!

_**Cocoacharm15**_


	5. Chapter Four

_**I'm back with another chapter!**_

_**Before I begin I'd like to give a special shout-out to lilcocoa and [magical tear] because I did not/could not reply to their reviews. Thanks a bunch you two!**_

_**Disclaimer: Cocoacharm15 does not own Bakugan, but I should.**_

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Chapter 4

As it turned out, I had no sense of direction. Absolutely none. Sure, I'd walked west–was it west?–with complete confidence and Azumi followed valiantly behind me, but it took all of half an hour for me to realize I was lost and that I didn't have a plan.

"Miss, where are we going?" Azumi asked once I'd turned around and began walking back toward where we'd started.

"We're going to find the other Bakugan," I answered. "You didn't happen to see what direction they went in, did you?"

"No," she replied sullenly, sniffling a little. "I'm useless."

I stopped walking upon hearing that statement, turning to look at her disbelievingly. She stopped, too, staring down at the ground.

"You are not useless, Azumi, and you are going to help me rescue everyone, okay?"

She didn't answer, shuffling in place.

"Okay?" I repeated more forcefully.

She sniffed again. "B-but you don't know me, Miss. How can you be sure I'm helpful?"

I pondered this for a second. She had a point, and it reminded me of myself with Zora. I had been pathetic, but ever since then I'd quit doubting myself as much. I still doubted, just not as often. Maybe she just needed someone to lean on and help her realize her full potential. _I _could be that someone. I could be somebody's rock.

"Well, you didn't get captured." I offered, and she looked up. "That has to count for something."

"Yeah, I guess," she mumbled, still down.

I struggled to come up with something to cheer her up. "Look...how about you ride up here?" I extended my hand to her, and after a moment of hesitation, she jumped on, giggling. I placed her on my shoulder, smiling to myself. Now that she was happy, all I had to do was find civilization.

With a bounce in my step, I continued on my way, passing those familiar rocks and trying to draw some conversation out of the unusually quiet Bakugan. We'd been walking for hours (although technically, I was the only one walking) with no sign of anything remotely alive.

"So what was it like?" I prompted after another hour's worth of silence.

"What was what like, Miss?" she asked in return with that adoring tone she always seemed to use on me. I also found it weird that she insisted on calling me 'Miss' though I'd told her otherwise, but decided against mentioning it in favor of getting my question answered.

"New Vestroia. What was it like before?"

She sighed sadly. "It was beautiful. There were so many Bakugan roaming free, so much happiness. Everyone was so content with life. Everywhere you'd turn there would be Bakugan talking, laughing, _living_. It was so...so amazing. The brave human and Bakugan partnerships that saved our home became legends."

"Did they?" I asked with as much disinterest as I could muster.

"Yep," she assured. "Everyone loved them, and we all thought that it would last forever. That we wouldn't have to worry about being hurt again, but it was too good to be true."

I didn't answer. What could I say to that? None of my words could have made her feel better, and I felt guilt eating me up because I'd made her unhappy again. She was going to start to cry again, I just knew it. I kept walking, determined to keep my mouth shut.

The sobs, however, didn't start. Instead, I heard her surprised gasp and her bounces on my shoulder.

"Miss, Miss! There! Over there!" she pointed with one of her appendages at a structure in the distance.

"What is it?" I asked, now walking faster.

"I don't know," she replied with excitement. "I hope they're humans!"

Now closer, I saw the construction was actually a series of domes containing a little city in them. A city! I allowed myself to believe that there may actually be humans here. I broke into a jog.

"What is this place?" I asked myself. I could now see the citizens through the dome, each one conducting their usual errands, and they all looked like people, like me.

"Oh my gosh! More humans?!" she shouted in my ear, and I winced.

"Looks like."

"They can help us! How do we get in?"

I paced around the main dome, looking for an entrance of some sort. All I found was a ventilation shaft and a door with two mean-looking guards blocking it. Call me crazy, but I didn't think they would let me in if I just walked up. The only other choice was the ventilation shaft, which was too high up for me to reach. I groaned, slumping onto the dirt. I'd walked all this way for nothing! It would have been a lot more depressing if a guard hadn't come around the corner, pointing something at me and asking me what I was doing outside. Putting on my best expression of innocence, I told him I'd lost my way and that I had to get back in.

He stared at me suspiciously, and I turned my shoulder a bit so he wouldn't see Azumi. He called back to the other guard, and I took advantage of the moment by tucking her into my pocket. Something made me distrust them, and I didn't want to put her in any more danger.

Guard number two lumbered toward us. "Before we let you in," he began, "we have to make sure. You're not a member of the Resistance, are you?"

I stared back, perplexed. "Um..."

The two shared a look, but the first guard spoke. "Works for us."

I held back a cheer as they led me into the doorway–an elevator, actually–and escorted me into the city. It was called Alpha City, which I learned from the automated voice that came on when the elevator stopped.

"Don't go making trouble," guard number two warned, before leaving me to my own devices in the grand Alpha City.

"Wow," Azumi breathed once I'd let her out, staring out in wonder at the skyscrapers and the bustling city life. Truthfully, it amazed me as well. It was like any other city back home, I realized, making my way down the sidewalk and admiring their vehicles similar to our cars, their building almost identical to ours, and their people. Oh, the _people_.

The people were so happy, each one wrapped up in their own little world. They didn't find it weird to live in a bubble at all. In fact, I didn't even look out of place. Azumi chattered nonstop about how wonderful everything was, about how amazing it was to be among actual people. I felt it, too. A jubilant vibe permeated the atmosphere, and I couldn't help but smile.

The tower in the middle of the city caught my attention, and I ran toward it blindly, bumping into someone soon after.

If I had been smart, I would've apologized and walked in the other direction.

The thing is, though, I'm not.

_**

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**_

Any guesses for next chapter? Stay tuned to find out, and be kind enough to drop me a review!

_**Cocoacharm15**_


	6. Chapter Five

**_Okay, hopefully, no one is terribly angry at me for neglecting to post a new chapter in a very, very long time. I suppose I could give some excuses, but I won't. Instead, I present to you this chapter. Enjoy!_**

**_Oh, and I tried something new with this by using Azumi's perspective. Let me know what you think about it~_**

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**Chapter Five**

**Azumi's POV**

The town was so bright and brilliant, and everything was just so amazing! There was so much to see, so many directions to look in, that it made my head spin just imagining the wonderful adventures the city held. I could have stared all day, not just at the town but at all the humans. I'd never seen so many of them at once. I'd only _really _met one, and she was super nice to me so it made me giddy to think about how nice all the others would be.

I looked up at the Miss and saw her staring hard at something up ahead. Wow! A tower! What kind of things did humans do there? Wait, she was taking us there! Oh, boy, this was gonna be great!

I thought of the Master and wondered if she'd ever seen something like this place. I pushed silly thoughts like that away from my mind. What was I thinking–wondering? I mean, of course, Empress Zora had seen these things. She was only the most experienced and smart Bakugan that ever, ever existed. And I considered myself her number one fan! I scolded myself mentally for making such a mistake and promised to never ever disregard such an obvious fact again. I sniffled a little, trying not to focus on my master's disappearance. Miss said we'd get her back, and she wouldn't lie to me. Nope, not even a little bit.

I was so caught up in my thoughts about the Master and about the humans that I didn't notice when one was right in front of us. He was a small one with large seafoam-green eyes and strange pink hair.

"Hi, haven't seen you around here. Are you new to Alpha City?" he asked the Miss politely.  
She didn't answer for the longest moment, and she seemed really stiff under me. Did she not like him? He seemed awfully friendly to me. Suddenly, he looked at me, and I realized that I was out in the open. Oh, no! I couldn't talk to another human yet! I wasn't ready!

Diving into her pocket, I hid while the pink boy laughed. I flushed, embarrassed at my shyness. Why couldn't I be more like the Master?

"So you have a Bakugan?" he questioned further, still polite.

Miss finally answered, a little hesitant. "Yes, I do, and we are new to the area."

"Well, this is your lucky day!" he exclaimed, super excited. "I happen to be the number one authority on Alpha City. I'd be happy to give you a tour."

I peeked out, and when the boy looked at me again, I went back inside. "Um, actually, I kind of need a place to stay. It would be very kind of you to show me to a hotel of some sort...except I don't have any money."

What was 'money' and this 'hotel' she was talking about? The Master hadn't told me about those things.

The pink boy made a humming sound, so I guessed he was thinking hard about something. "That is certainly a problem, but I'll tell you what. If you enter the Bakugan tournament, you can stay with me and my friends for free."

Bakugan tournament? I shivered, getting a bad feeling about whatever the heck he was wanted Miss to do. What if we had to compete with looks? I had no chance of winning and Miss wouldn't have anywhere to stay. It's not like she could sleep out anywhere like we Bakugan could. Oh, what if I failed her? Then she'd get mad at me and wouldn't help me rescue my Master. I sighed. This could not turn out well.

"A tournament." Miss repeated slowly. "Okay, it's a deal."

I heard the boy laugh. "That's great. I'm Lync, by the way."

"Nickyla," she answered, and dug in the pocket I was in. She pulled me out and I closed up, hiding from the boy. "This is Azumi."

"Well, it's nice to meet you," he told me, and I saw him smiling.

Soon after this exchange, the two began walking down the street and I sat on Miss' shoulder in silence. I wanted to talk, but I was afraid of him listening to me and looking at me again. They walked past all the cool-looking people and stands, and I couldn't even ask Miss about them. I was starting to not like the boy.

I still didn't want to be in a tournament, but I couldn't say no. My Master would be so disappointed if I backed down. That would be the worst. But if I did well, I thought happily, I would finally have a cool story to tell the Master once we got her back. She would be so proud!

After walking forever, we got to the nifty tower, which I now knew was where humans did 'tournaments.' The whole arena was a dome within the dome of the city and the tower in the center pointed straight up and connected to the outer dome. It was huge both inside and out. Miss stepped inside behind the little boy–he had a cape that looked too big on him–and I felt really small. The pink boy talked to someone behind a wood table, and soon he was pushing us into a wide circular area. There were seats around the whole thing and people screaming things. It was overwhelming! All those people, I realized, were going to see me! The boy left us and I saw another boy across from us with a scary look on his face.

"Okay, Azumi," Miss began, putting me on her open palm. "We're going to have to win this battle or–"

"Battle?" I interrupted hysterically, shaking nonstop. "I-I can't battle. Miss, please, we can't. Can we just leave? Please, I don't know how to battle and it seems really hard and dangerous, and Miss, the Master can, but not me! Not me."

She sighed, giving me a strange look. "Look, I know it's a little frightening, but please, you have to try. Your master will be so proud to hear what you did here."

"I know..." I answered sullenly. "Okay, I'll do it."

"That's the spirit!" She grinned. "Now, just follow my lead. You'll be great."

* * *

I waddled through the arena hall, looking on at the second round of the battles. I wanted to kick myself for being so pathetic out there. I mean, she summoned me and I didn't even attack! I retreated as soon as the other player sent in their Bakugan. I knew I'd let her down, even though she didn't say anything. She was too nice to me. As soon as it was over and we'd been disqualified for my forfeit, I left Miss to walk on my own.

I just wanted to think and stop feeling sorry for myself. I guess I just wasn't meant for battle, unlike Empress Zora. She could do anything. Looks like I wouldn't have a cool story to tell her, unless I wanted her to know I was a loser.

I was about to walk back to Miss–maybe she'd be looking for me–when I heard the pink boy's voice and a deeper voice talking.

"...don't know about this girl, Lync. You expect us to just take her in?" the deeper voice asked. "You don't even know her."

They were referring to my Miss!

"Eh, so what? I think she's got potential. Besides, you know Spectra is just itching to betray the Vexos. We're going to need someone to fill in the empty spot. I'm thinking Nickyla can."

The older one scoffed. "She battles with Darkus–that's Shadow's attribute–and she reminds me of someone, but I can't remember who it is. Need I remind you, Lync, how pathetic today's display was?"

"Volt, you're such a pessimist. If she can't be part of the Vexos, we'll find some use for her. She's naive and she's not Vestal. She's a _human_. She could be a good tool against the Resistance, like an information source."

"Fine, do what you want, but she's _your _pet. If this doesn't work out, Hydron will have your head, not mine."

I held in a breath, not wanting them to catch me. Could it really be the little boy saying such mean things about us? Did he just want to use her? I didn't think so. He was just so nice to her.

Later when I saw the boy and the older man go out into the arena, the whole crowd cheered for them like they were heroes. I decided that they couldn't be so bad after all. They were probably just good people looking out for Miss and everyone else. No one could ever, ever be the mean on purpose.

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**_As always, I enjoy any feedback you-the lovely readers-provide, so I'd appreciate it if you took the time to tell me what you think in a review :D_**

**_Cocoacharm15_**


	7. Chapter Six

**_It's only one month after I last updated, which is better, I think, than my usual sporadic updates~_**

**_This chapter will introduce a few more obstacles for Nicole, so it'll be a good one. Thanks to my new beta Dakotawolf447 for giving much needed advice :D_**

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Chapter Six

Nicole's POV

I waited impatiently by the ladies' restroom for Azumi. Just where the heck was she? After our loss–which hadn't been as spectacular as I would've liked–she had up and disappeared, sniffling all the way. I knew she was disappointed in herself and probably figured I hated her. It wasn't true, of course, but I'd realized from the beginning how unsure she was of herself and how emotional _everything _made her.

For a while after she'd left, my own confidence had faltered. Was I so sure we could rescue all the Bakugan when the one I had befriended couldn't–or wouldn't–fight? Zora was counting on me, hopefully, but Azumi's lack of spirit could crush our cause before it began, not to mention I was all alone.

I sighed, feeling defeated and wishing it was all just a dream.

But it wasn't. I was living it, and I had to act. First, though, I had to find Azumi.

Wandering through the endless corridors of the Battle Arena, I searched high and low for her. There were doorways lining the corridors but each of them was tightly locked. The only open passages were the ones that led to the stands where the fans sat. Eventually, I realized it would be ridiculous to search the entire dome for her, so I stopped looking and went back to where I'd started.

Another hour passed before I saw Azumi again.

"Miss!" she cried, jumping into my open palm.

"Where'd you run off to?" I asked, trying to keep the anger out of my voice. I wouldn't have her breaking down on me again.

She jumped up onto my shoulder. "Just looking around." We walked in silence for a moment, no destination in mind, before she added, "The little green boy and his friend must be super nice. Everyone likes them."

"Mm-hmm," I responded, tight-lipped. Quite honestly, there was something about Lync I didn't trust. I'd learned enough from Zora to know when someone wasn't telling you the whole truth. She had done it plenty of times, and I'd associated a sinister undertone with it, an undertone that Lync seemed to have whenever he spoke. He may have looked like an innocent angel, but there was something diabolical about him.

And who was this friend Azumi was talking about? Since I'd walked in, I hadn't seen Lync talk to anyone besides those in charge of the tournament and security guards, and they'd all obeyed him as if he was their superior. Maybe it was the person _he _worked for.

The boy in question chose this precise moment to show himself, walking coolly toward me, his flamboyant green cape billowing behind him. He looked ridiculous, all wide shoulder pads and more cape than body. I wasn't quite sure whether his hair or his outfit looked worse. Eh, they were equally terrible, I decided with a another good look at him.

"That was...something else," he said, referring to the battle fiasco.

I laughed nervously while Azumi sighed sadly. "Yeah...something."

Lync grinned, falling in line with our walk. "Hey, no big deal, but I figured you'd been with your Bakugan for a while."

"No," I breathed, nostalgia washing over me and keeping my mouth moving instead of shut. "I've brawled before with another Darkus Bakugan."

"Really?" he asked, eyebrow quirked. "I watch all the tournaments, but I've never seen you in one."

"She's from earth!" Azumi blurted out cheerfully.

_Shut up, shut up!_ I yelled mentally, but she didn't hear me.

"And she rescued me when all the Bakugan were taken by the bad people."

"Did she?" Lync remarked, and I heard a hint of smugness in his tone. This is exactly what I meant about an undertone. I don't know if he did it on purpose, but it was almost as if he was baiting me by acting like he knew something I didn't.

"Yep," she announced proudly. She was giving all this information away about me to a virtual stranger, so was it any wonder I wished she were shy again? Her mood swings were beginning to wear on me.

Lync didn't mention more about it, though, instead taking a right turn and beckoning me after him. "This leads to the Vexos' headquarters in Alpha City. We hang out and relax around here. Well, me and Volt do. We've got a spare room around here for you, since you fulfilled your part of the bargain."

I followed him into a dull corridor, a set of double doors ahead of us. He typed in a code on the keypad to the right, a light glowing green above the door as the doors slid open. We crossed the threshold, entering what looked like a battleship's control room. There were flashing lights, red buttons, stiff-looking chairs and plenty of chromed surfaces. Someone sat brooding in one of the chairs, shooting Lync a dark look. He was a heavyset guy dressed in white with reddish hair. His face seemed to be contorted into a permanent scowl.

"Nickyla, this is Volt Luster, Haos battler for the Vexos."

I waved and he grunted his acknowledgment.

"Volt isn't much of a people person," Lync explained, leading me away and taking another right into a room with a more relaxed atmosphere.

The room was bright, illuminated by multiple windows. It looked relatively comfortable, all the basic accessories of a bedroom present without the lavishness I was used to. Azumi squealed with delight, disappearing from my shoulder and making a dash toward the bed. She giggled as she rolled around on it, obviously never having seen anything like it.

"Miss! You have to join me!" she shouted exuberantly.

I declined politely, wondering why Lync was still in the room. He stood by the doorway, watching our every move and it disconcerted me. His seafoam eyes glimmered rather innocently, but I wasn't about to be fooled.

"Lync," a muffled voice called through the door. "It's time. The others will be here soon."

"Looks like I have to get going," he said. "I'll see you in a bit." He gave me a smile and escorted himself out. The door took forever to close, a sigh of relief escaping me once I heard his footsteps fade.

"Miss, it's fluffy," Azumi laughed, settling herself on a pillow. Why couldn't I be that carefree? And more importantly, was I the only one who saw how potentially dangerous these _Vexos_ were? I didn't know how many of them there were, but the few I had seen had done nothing to inspire trust in me.

I poked my head out of the room and found the control room completely deserted. A devious idea hatched in my mind. One could call it Zora-like, even.

It was time to go spying.

"Azumi," I called out casually. "I'm going to go for a walk. I'll be back soon, 'kay?"

"Okey dokey, Miss!"

I grinned widely before stepping out and putting my game face on. I was relieved that she hadn't argued with me, wanting to come along. She probably wasn't capable of it, anyway. For one, I wasn't comfortable with the idea of corrupting her with my increasingly shady actions. Second, she'd probably blow my cover with her unpredictability.

I quickly doubled back into the arena's main hallway, remembering the path we'd taken all too clearly. No guards were around, and I wandered around for a bit, not quite sure what it was I was looking for.

"No use trying locked doors," I told myself, finding an exit and heading to the second largest building in sight. It was a sterile white, the glass front doors unguarded. Shrugging, I headed inside, not noticing anything suspicious immediately. It seemed like a regular old office building. A secretary sat at the front desk, dutifully ignoring me, and every now and then people in white coats would hurry across the floor, elevator to elevator.

I was at a dead-end.

Sighing loudly, I turned back to the front doors, ready to leave, when spiked orange hair caught my eye.

It was Volt! He'd emerged from an elevator and was walking down a hallway I hadn't seen previously. It was in a corner, hidden by various decorative plants. He didn't see me, and I began following at a distance.

Everything had been going well until a pair of guards caught sight of me. They were posted at attention far from the entrance, where no one could see them and grow suspicious. You didn't have guards unless there was something you wanted to protect.

They nodded at Volt, letting him by without questioning, but since I wasn't directly behind him, they gathered in the middle of the hallway to block my way.

"Halt!" one shouted. "Identification."

Great. I managed a sheepish smile, and called out to Volt.

He didn't turn, and for a second I thought he was going to leave me behind. "Let her pass."

They looked at each other uncertainly, but allowed me to go after the Haos brawler.

"Next time think your plan through," he drawled after we'd passed a few doors.

I stiffened, choosing not to seem intimated, though I was. "Whatever."

He scoffed, and I bet he rolled his eyes, too. We were silent for a while. He allowed me to follow him, and I made sure not to get too close. To be honest, I feared what he could do if someone provoked him. His burly physique almost guaranteed him the win in a fistfight, so what could he do in a battle of wits and Bakugan? I'd rather _not _find out.

I'd finally gathered the courage to ask him where he was going–it'd occurred to me that this side trip might not have been a very good idea for getting that proof I wanted–when he stopped abruptly at a heavily reinforced door, again password-protected. Two other guards eyed me, and I averted my gaze to Volt's back.

"Sir?" they asked, referring to me.

He remained silent, and again I knew he was capable of leaving me behind. "She's with Lync."

The guards stepped aside and Volt let us through in a matter of seconds. I found myself face to face with a creature unlike any I'd ever seen before. Its movements were stiff, its cry shrill, its appearance menacing. I took a step back, eyes wide at the monster behind the glass. We were standing above it, I realized, gaping at the immense size of the beast. People on the inside of the glass dome around looked focused on their task, whatever that may have been.

"What..." I swallowed. "What _is _that?"

Volt shot me a sideways glance. "What you're seeing is the first ever mechanical Bakugan."

"A _what_?" I shouted, the noise inside the glass dome escalating.

He didn't bother repeating himself because I had heard him very well. I stared, stunned at the monstrosity that reared its green head beyond a flimsy window. _Mechanical_? How could someone create something like this when there were perfectly good _real _Bakugan existing? I could almost understand, if Bakugan no longer existed, but they did. Somewhere. Why didn't they go out and rescue the ones captured instead of trying to make new ones?

I looked to Volt, ready to voice my question when he spoke calmly. "Mechanical Bakugan will be stronger, ultimate, and will have none of the limitations that real Bakugan do. Professor Clay is sure of that. The more power, the better."

I shook my head, disgusted. "This is wrong," I whispered, ready to bolt. "How can you do this?"

He didn't answer, merely looking straight ahead.

I turned and ran, afraid of what would happen to me if I stayed. The guards didn't chase after me, and I didn't care; I still ran. Azumi was wrong. They weren't good. They were building these monsters to be stronger, but what about personality? What about all these other Bakugan, what would happen to them?

More than ever, I had to find Zora. She would know what to do. She could get me out of this mess. I needed her here with me.

The battle arena was in sight, and without hesitation I tore through the crowds assembled outside. I kept running, determined to get Azumi and get both of us as far away as possible from here.

I'd reached the inner hallway again, the one that led to the bleachers or to the Vexos control room. I didn't have time to stop and watch the battle, but I slowed to a stop outside the first doorway when I saw the duo on the right. One wore a cloak and the other a mask, their opponents two flamboyant girls.

I willed myself to continue, but again I hesitated leaving, stepping into the sunlight. The cloaked one...those eyes...why were they so familiar? I gazed a bit longer. It wasn't just the eyes, but the posture, the way the mystery brawler carried himself.

"Who are you?" I asked, half-poised to leave, torn between the choices.

As if on cue, the cloak came off.

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**_Well, the next chapter will be where the real action starts, so stay tuned. Grace me with a review?_**

**_Cocoacharm15_**


	8. Chapter Seven

**_As promised, here is the latest chapter with plenty of twists and turns. Just a warning, Nicole is headed for trouble..._**

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Chapter Seven

Nicole's POV

I couldn't keep myself from stumbling forward, wanting to be closer, to be absolutely sure my eyes weren't playing tricks on me. I wanted to believe, but then again, I didn't. How crushed would I be if it was a false alarm and it wasn't him? It couldn't be...

The amber eyes were focused on the opposing team completely, nothing but determination shining in them. His handsome but expressionless face gave away nothing, the usual steely calmness present. I held my breath as he threw down a gate card and a Bakugan, fluid and graceful. A Ventus beast rose, the splitting image of the sleek, efficient brawler Shun was.

"Shun..." I breathed, unsure why I was so affected by seeing him again. It hadn't been _that _long, had it? I felt the heat rise to my cheeks, wondering what I'd say to him, how I'd explain my arrival. Would he want to see me, too? My heartbeat quickened when I imagined him overjoyed upon our reunion. Unlikely, I know, but hey, it was possible.

_Get a hold of yourself_. I took a few deep breaths, which only succeeded in making me more flustered. Jeez, I wasn't even face to face with him yet! He was still so far away. I tried logic next. It was the relief of seeing a familiar face, I told myself as I ran down the bleachers, careful not to trip and fall to my untimely doom. It worked a little better, at least until the boy next to him–seafoam-haired and grey-eyed–summoned his Darkus creature and blocked my view of both Shun and his Bakugan.

I was suddenly frustrated, needing to be over there with him. He would help me get to Zora. I could trust him. The bleachers were high above the ground of the arena and the Bakugan still towered above the stone pillars Shun and his partner stood on. If I jumped, it would mean certain death. If I stayed put, there was no guarantee I would see him after he won and was mobbed by fans.

Thinking quickly, I ran back inside, remembering a set of stairs that led up onto the pillars. I hadn't used them, but the sign had told me exactly what they were. I ran, not letting my breath catch up with me. I had to keep going...

The door loomed ahead of me, flanked by two guards. I stopped just short of colliding with them.

"I have to get in," I explained breathlessly, resting my hands on my knees.

"We are authorized to prevent entry to anyone during a brawl. Please return to your seat," one explained, dark sunglasses hiding his eyes.

Instead of asking why on earth they had so many guards, I straightened, trying to seem more intimidating. "This is an emergency. I must see the current brawlers."

They scoffed. "Do you have proof?"

Without thinking, I blurted out, "Lync sent me."

At this, they laughed. "Master Lync and Master Volt will battle next and do not interfere with the semifinal battles. I'm having you detained."

No, you're not, I thought as I rushed past them, pushing on the door to no avail. It was tightly shut, but I didn't have much time to shove before one of them grabbed me by the waist and hoisted me over his shoulder.

"Ugh, let me go! You don't understand!" I struggled in vain. His grip was iron, and I panicked, knowing how slim the chances were of finding Shun again.

"Making trouble, is she?" a familiar childish voice taunted, the pink hair and loose cape coming into view.

"Lync!" I shouted happily. "Thank goodness you're here. They won't let me in, and I have to see Shun and–"

He raised an eyebrow, smirking. "And what?" he asked lightly, expression dark. "Tell him what the big bad Vexos are up to? I don't think so."

I glared, no retort coming to my tongue. He couldn't have found out about my run-in with the mechanical Bakugan unless Volt had informed him.

"Guards," he barked as Volt joined him, scowling as usual. "Take her into the interrogation room and keep an eye on her until Volt and I have wiped the floor with the Resistance."

"Yes, sir!" They saluted, hauling me away with ease.

"No! I have to–let me go! Lync, you traitor!" I yelled, still fighting to get free. By the time they set me free, Shun would be long gone and so would my chance to rescue the Bakugan.

He winked, laughing manically. "Sorry, hun, that's just the way things work in the Vexos."

He didn't sound sorry at all.

I stopped struggling, letting Lync's words sink in. I'd seen it coming, anticipated his betrayal, and I was still surprised, not to mention gullible. The worst part was that I'd brought it upon myself. If I hadn't been so determined to spy and if I hadn't run out on Volt in a fit of righteous rage, then maybe Lync would've allowed me in.

I felt foolish tears begin to prick my eyes, and I wiped them away angrily. Only days into my mission and already it was a complete disaster. Why did I have to be so pathetic? Zora would've agreed with me and suggested another plan of action, but there was nothing I could do while detained.

The guards walked into the main Vexos headquarters, the doors sliding shut behind them with a whoosh. One produced a rope while the other dropped me unceremoniously on my backside. They made swift work of tying me up, leaving me strapped to one of those stiff plastic chairs I'd seen before.

"Stay put," the one who carried me ordered.

I rolled my eyes at their retreating backs. As if I was going anywhere.

I glanced around, the ropes rubbing against me arms and legs, and my eyes landed on the door that led to my room. Either the guards were too dumb to gag me properly, or they didn't have any fear of me calling for help.

"Azumi!" I yelled, hoping she'd hear me. "Azumi! Help! Are you in there? Azumi!"

I remained silent for a moment, straining to hear any sounds from inside the room. I supposed it didn't matter whether I called for help or not because all I could hear was silence. I groaned, feeling loneliness set in. Could Lync and Volt have done something to her? What would I do without a Bakugan?

That's what I got for leaving her behind. _Smart move, Nicky, _I thought sarcastically, hanging my head. In trying to protect her, I'd inevitably doomed myself. Typical me.

I continued to shout for a few more minutes until my throat was dry and my voice hoarse. I tried wiggling, but the ropes didn't loosen at all. I was out of options, meaning I'd lost my chance of seeing Shun. The thought scared me, and a few tears leaked. I didn't want to be alone in all of this, but there was no way around it.

Suddenly I heard a noise, a loud crashing sound that echoed across the room. It sounded like metal grinding on metal and glass breaking. I cringed, unable to cover my ears because my hands were tied. Then, just as suddenly as it had begun, the noise stopped, replaced by cheers. Confused, I craned my head to see anything besides silver machinery, but it didn't do any good.

The cheers continued, and they gave me an idea. If I had heard them, that meant that Azumi–assuming she was still in the room–had to have, too. I tried calling her name again, only to be greeted by silence and the opening of the main door.

A fuming Lync and an impassive Volt entered, their decisive steps quickly bringing them to me. Lync's frown shifted into a smirk, a devious glint in his eyes as he shared a look with Volt.

"Volt, I think we've found the cat for our mice," he drawled, sitting beside me in another chair.

"You finally came up with a good idea?" Volt asked, surprise in his voice.

Lync glared. "Shut up. The bottom line is that Nickyla, or should I say, _Nicole_, here is going to help us. Aren't you?"

I froze, the grin on his face making the fear set in. How did they know? No one knew who I was here, not even Azumi. Immediately, I chose the path of denial. They had no proof. They'd never know...

"I–I'm not her," I argued, the words sounding weak to my own ears.

Lync caught my hesitation, the smirk growing, if that was possible. "Oh? That's not what Volt says." he singsonged.

I turned to Volt, his back turned to me, facing the computer monitor. He seemed to be busy, typing away at the keys.

"You're Nicole Adams," he explained in a monotone, pulling up a screen and reading information off it. "Darkus Brawler for the Bakugan Battle Brawlers. Partner to Twilight Zora, one of the saviors of Vestroia."

I stared in horror as he continued to read my life's story to me from his database. They had everything about me, including a picture, personality analysis, and my strengths and weaknesses in battle.

"I had a hunch you weren't just some regular human," Volt continued, slightly smug. "Someone like you doesn't end up here by accident."

I stayed quiet. What was I supposed to say to them? I understood that they'd never let me go now. I'd have to join them, the Vexos.

Lync jumped to his feet, cackling. "You don't have to lie to us, anymore, Nicole. We understand how much you want to join your Resistance friends, so we've decided to let you go to them."

"...what?" I asked, dumfounded.

"That's right," he continued. "We're not as bad as we look. You can go to your precious Shun, if you do a little thing for us..."

He waited for my response, eyeing me innocently. I was not about to fall for that one again.

"You expect me to say yes?" I spat defiantly. Zora would've been proud. "After I've seen what you're doing with these 'mechanical Bakugan,' I'd rather die than help you. Shun is fighting against you, so it's obvious I have to do the same."

"Yeah, we figured you would say that," Lync mused. "But you don't really have a choice in the matter. You have to free the Bakugan, right? That's what you and your ignorant little brat of a Bakugan want to do, but taking them from us won't be easy."

I gasped, not realizing how obvious it was that they had been the ones who captured the Bakugan. Why else build new ones?

He continued to smirk. "Now, you can cooperate..."

"Fat chance," I snorted. If they wanted to take me prisoner, then so be it, but I wouldn't be part of this.

"...or Zora can suffer. It's your choice."

"No, you can't!" I blurted out, regretting my outburst as soon as it happened. I was only giving them more to work with.

"Yes, we can...Volt!"

Volt pressed a few buttons, the screen switching to an image of a shadow, it seemed, inside a small cramped space. There was little light, but soon I could make out the outlines of wings and of familiar silver hair.

"Zora," I whispered.

"She was a feisty one, so they couldn't place her into bronze state, but look at how well it worked out."

I swallowed, a lump forming in my throat as I watched her. Her expression was shielded from me, but I could still see defiance in her stance. They'd caged her like an animal, but her spirit wasn't broken...yet. What could they do to her if I refused, kill her? The thought made me want to bawl, the only thing stopping me being Zora's opinion of me. If Zora was hurt because of me, I'd never be able to forgive myself. Lync was right. I didn't have a choice. I had to do it, for her.

"So how about it, Nicole?"

I nodded, blinking away tears. "You give her better living conditions, and I'll do whatever you want."

"Fair enough," Volt agreed.

"What...what do I have to do?" I asked, dreading Lync's answer.

He laughed lightly. "Oh, nothing too big. You will infiltrate the Bakugan Battle Brawlers Resistance as a spy for the Vexos."

"Okay," I replied after a while, already feeling branded as a traitor.

Lync began undoing my ropes, and I breathed a sigh of relief as I rubbed the feeling back into my limbs. I stood up, heading toward my room.

"Nicole?" Lync called before I opened the door. I turned mechanically. "Not a word of this to the Resistance or this"–he gestured at Zora's bedraggled appearance on the screen–"will be the last memory you have of Zora."

He winked as I went inside, desperately wishing there were a place to escape the mess the mission had become. I looked around for Azumi, surprised to see her full form stretched across the room. She slept peacefully, completely unaware of the grave mistake I'd just made. I felt a twinge of envy at her obliviousness, her innocence, wondering when it got away from me.

I decided to let her sleep. I didn't have the energy to deal with her. All I wanted to do was sit down and cry until I ran out of tears and pain, but there wasn't time.

A knock resounded at the door. Composing myself, I opened the door.

"You leave tonight," Volt announced, tossing me a gauntlet and a card holder.

They landed at my feet, the door shutting automatically. I gathered them numbly, setting them on a nearby table. The sun still looked to be high in the sky, giving me a few hours to myself.

Only a few hours till I betrayed the Brawlers again.

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**_How sweet of Azumi to sleep through all the action, and leave Nicole to deal with it all on her own. Next chapter will be taking a break from Nicole and focusing on that cynical Bakugan we all know and love. Honor me with a review?_**

**_Cocoacharm15_**


	9. Chapter Eight

**_Here is the promised chapter that gets back to Zora's situation. Hope you all enjoy~!_**

**_Oh, and thanks so much to all the readers who have left reviews. This story has surpassed Senses of Darkness in reviews with only half the chapters ^.^_**

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**Chapter Eight**

**Zora's POV**

Hell.

That's one word I'd use to describe what I'd gone through since the day I was captured. I suppose I could've used one of the more colorful words in my vocabulary, but what difference would it make? Absolutely none. I'd still be trapped, punished.

It wasn't complaining, not really, but if anyone deserved better treatment it was the fricken' savior of Vestroia. I hadn't understood what they wanted with me at first, but soon it became all too clear.

The annoying idiot man had tossed me aside as if I was some cheap vending machine toy, the new "home" he'd promised being very uncomfortable and completely unnecessary. Where exactly did they think I was going to run off to on a flying vacuum machine?

We'd flown for ages, the steady hum of propellers reminding me that I was getting farther and farther away from the area I'd grown so accustomed to. I felt a little guilty–believe it or not–at leaving my stalker behind, mostly because she probably died of fright. That insignificant feeling, though, was quickly blocked out by my anger. It could've been me that stayed behind, safely, without having to suffer the indignity of being captive of arrogant imbeciles.

If I really wanted to blame someone for my current predicament, I would grudgingly admit I brought it upon myself. Me and my big stupid ego.

-X-

"_What does Hydron want with these puny things, anyway?" the silver-haired man asked, leaning back on his chair._

"_How should I know?" the woman snapped, pressing some brightly colored buttons. I could hear the engines stall for a minute before resuming their quiet whirs."We'll be there shortly, so ask him yourself."_

_I was glad that the glass I was in wasn't soundproof, though I didn't like the sound of "Hydron." The way the seemingly carefree man spat his name made me believe that whoever this character was, he wouldn't be friendly toward the Bakugan–or me, in particular._

_Minutes passed by, the woman's sharp scowl directed at me every so often, as if to make sure I was still there. I scowled back. The man made a big show out of walking around my container, examining me closely. Suddenly, a jolt shook the craft, my prison guards obviously not feeling it like I did. The humming had stopped, and a rush of air came from somewhere beyond the cockpit._

_The man yawned. "Let's get this over with. Come on, little Zora." He picked up my container and I flinched even though there was glass between us._

"_Let me hold it!" the woman demanded, snatching it from his arms. The temperature of the glass dropped a few degrees, only confirming my suspicions that she was cold-blooded._

"_No fair! I wanted it!" he whined, chasing after her as she walked swiftly to a steel door. She kept a firm hold on me, her eyes focused completely on the path ahead of her. The door opened quickly, revealing a nondescript corridor with a bright light at the end. Her pace was brisk, the man struggling to keep up with her._

_She punched in a code with unsurprising precision and brutality, the doors opening to reveal a grand throne room occupied by a single boy. I'd become fairly accustomed to people and their propensity toward lavishness, but what the boy had went far beyond anything I'd even seen before. He had tapestries with intricate details hung from ceiling to floor, and the ceiling must've been fifty feet high. The circular design of the room was symmetrical in every way, busts and statues littering the outskirts. The marble floors shone brightly in the dim light, and I could see the reflection of the woman in them as she approached the boy. _

_She bowed, presenting my container to him. What, big tough man-lady answered to this punk?_

_The boy smiled slightly, twirling a lock of his blonde with a finger. "Excellent, Mylene," he purred, beckoning her forward with the other hand. She obliged, starting up the steps to his throne and handing me over._

_He examined me carefully, mauve eyes amused. His face had the roundness of childhood, but his mouth, curved into a smirk, hinted at a knowledge darker than any child should know. He dressed in a fine suit, apparently signifying his higher status._

"_Are you comfortable, my dear?" he asked lightly, barely recognizable condescension in his tone._

"_Fit to be tied," I spat, approaching him as much as I could while trapped._

_He smiled. "I've heard about your exploits, Zora. Saving your world, befriending the Dragonoid known as Drago, all the fame you've gained. I've even heard about that nasty temper of yours."_

"_Oh, yeah? Have you heard that I enjoy devouring snotty brats for breakfast?"_

_He merely laughed, lifting me to eye level. "Tsk, tsk. You are in no position to be making threats. You are incarcerated and will continue to be my prisoner until I say so. I'm the one calling the shots, you hear? And right now I think you'd make a wonderful addition to my collection."_

"_Aw, the little boy has a collection?" I mocked, not phased by his threats. He couldn't have been more than four feet tall, and he was obviously spoiled, so all it would take to get him angry was not getting his way. Plus, he seemed too delicate to be able (or willing) to do any dirty work himself. That's why he'd sent the two maniacs after me._

_His grip tightened on the container, his mouth pursing into a thin line. "How dare you, insolent pest! I am the prince of all dimensions and you shall bow to me!"_

_I yawned, turning my back on his tantrum. "Tell it to someone who cares. Besides," I added slyly, "you look like the court jester to me."_

_His face creased in anger, and he stood up suddenly, holding me out to the woman._

"_Mylene!" he barked._

_She stood at attention. "Yes, your highness?"_

"_Take her and follow me to the mausoleum."_

_She obeyed without question, taking my life into her cold-blooded hands as soon as the boy had descended his throne. His friendly demeanor was gone entirely, and he offered me one cold stare before heading toward the back of the room. A set of previously unnoticed doors rose ominously. Mylene followed, leaving behind the one she referred to as Shadow._

_The next room rendered me speechless, not because of its extravagance, but because it was the complete opposite of the throne room. As Hydron had stated, a mausoleum loomed before me._

_The sight made me sick. I recognized each one of the bronze statues, all five of them. There was Preyas, Aquos Bakugan to the little know-it-all; Tigrerra, Haos Bakugan to the loud-mouthed one; Gorem, Subterra Bakugan to the other loud one, Julie; Hydronoid, Darkus Bakugan to Alice; and Skyress, Ventus phoenix of the silent ninja boy Nicole had taken a liking to._

_I looked them over again while Hydron smirked. There were five all right, one for each element except Pyrus. That meant he was after Drago. _

"_Like it?" he taunted. "Drago has evaded me for the time being, but now that I have you I'm one step closer to completing this little project."_

_Initially, I'd maintained a sliver of hope that there were only replicas and that the real Bakugan were hidden away somewhere, but his statement cleared up any doubt that the Bakugan who'd once fought alongside me were now before me in the form of statues. As much as I hated to admit it, I felt slightly intimidated by the boy now. What exactly was he capable of?_

"_You see, Zora, even you cannot escape my reach. You'll become just like them," he explained haughtily._

"_Thanks, but no thanks. I'd much rather die," I retorted acerbically._

_He smirked. "Be careful what you wish for, Zora...because you just might get it."_

-X-

Those words came back to bite me, just as he'd predicted. As a punishment for my insolence–and probably soothe his fragile ego–I wasn't turned into a statue. It seemed like a blessing at first, but it was a curse in disguise. I'd naively believed that if I remained mobile, I could find a chance to escape all the while being able to talk back and fight. What I didn't count on was him adding insult to injury. He'd taken away what I loved most–my freedom–and to top it off, he'd let me be in my full form...while trapped in a cage like an animal. A zoo attraction. Right next to my former teammates.

Obviously, life just didn't get any better than this.

I tried stretching my wings, only to be prevented by the confining adamant bars. I suppressed another tired sigh. I'd fought continually, but my resolve was breaking. I struggled less these days. It got me nowhere, anyway, so why bother? All I needed was an opening, one slip-up, and I could escape, but they were always so careful around me.

The routine never changed. A guard would check in on my at sunrise and sunset, someone of higher rank usually appearing sometime during the day (unless it was Shadow; he enjoyed coming at night). Hydron loved seeing me weak and pitiful, and he asked me everyday whether I felt like his subject. He wanted me tamed, so just to spite him, I disrespected him every time he showed his face. I didn't care for any other punishment he could come up with, there was no possible way for him to degrade me even more.

Suddenly, footsteps echoed down the hallway, and I tensed, my expression contorted into a scowl. I tried to stand up straighter, not willing to give whoever it was the satisfaction of seeing me vulnerable.

A new face walked in, a figure clad in a red coat and mask. The only thing that seemed remotely human about him (of her, I couldn't really tell) was his/her wild blonde hair. The smirk of his/her lips curved metallically, automatically, like the rest of his/her.

He (or she) stepped forward, a piercing blue eye examining me. I nearly growled, angry at being stared at again.

"You're lucky," he–I decided by his voice–said finally, his gloved fingers snapping once.

I couldn't refrain from a sarcastic reply. "Gee, you're right! Being caged has _always _been my lifelong dream."

"A Bakugan with a sense of humor?" he chuckled as a pair of guards moved forward from seemingly nowhere, setting my cage down on a conveyor belt I hadn't seen before. I noticed it ran all around the room, which was presumably how they got all the Bakugan in. It began to move, me along with it, and the red man followed along beside it.

"Who are you? Where are you taking me? What are you hiding?"

He spared me a sideways glance. "Do you always ask so many questions?" he countered, seemingly tired all of a sudden.

"You haven't answered any of them," I pointed out, irritated.

"You're being moved to a more comfortable location," he elaborated.

"Why?"

He didn't respond. I heard the screech of metal grinding on metal and looked ahead to see a larger cage with the door open. The conveyor led straight to it, but the guards stopped it before we had a cage to cage collision. It was suspended an inch or two off the ground, preventing it from moving farther away. They meshed the cages together enough that I could move into the other one. I would've stayed in the smaller one, if only to save my pride, but the guards pushed and prodded at me until I exited my former enclosure. They were careful not to leave any space big enough for me to squeeze through, and since I'd found the bars did not bend in my hands, I again had no chance of escape. Why did these guys actually think things through?

The larger cage, though just as humiliating, had more room for me to move and I could pace around it in a few times.

"That place should be more adequate," the blonde drawled.

"Master Spectra?" a new voice asked hurriedly. It belonged to a boy with long blue hair, his clothes signaling him to be a Subterra Brawler.

"What is it, Gus?" he responded, exasperated.

"Prince Hydron seeks an audience with you," Gus explained with a bow.

Spectra gave me one more look before turning to exit the room. "Very well," he agreed. "We'll meet again, Zora."

I snorted, already tired of this Spectra. I had no clue why the hell he'd moved me, but I supposed I could get that information out of him eventually. I prepared myself for another pair of hours with only statues to keep me company. What an exciting time it would be. The only thing that made this existence bearable was that I got visits from crazies like Spectra.

Who knows? Maybe next time I'd get a visit from the ghost of Christmas past. I chuckled and sighed simultaneously.

I was losing my mind.

I needed an escape, and I needed it now.

* * *

**_Things might not get any better for Zora anytime soon, but stay tuned for Nicole's meeting with the Resistance next chapter. It'll be eventful for sure. Be sure to check my progress on the next chapter on my profile, and be kind enough to leave a review!_**

**_Cocoacharm15_**


	10. Chapter Nine

**_This chapter is mostly filler. I mean, it progresses the story a bit, but not much. A slight hint of romance, though ^.^ Enjoy!_**

**_Thanks to my betas ThatFuzzyTanGuy and DakotaWolf447._**

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Chapter Nine

Nicole's POV

The moment to leave came at sunset.

Azumi, now small, still slept, blissfully unaware of the fact that I was about to ruin both of our lives. The sun would set on my loyalty and on my head. Lync's words echoed louder in my head the farther I escaped from Alpha City.

"Not a word to the Resistance, or…well, you know," he'd taunted, sea foam eyes shining in dark mirth.

I'd only nodded quietly, the perfect subordinate. Now I resented everything I'd agreed to, angry at Lync and Volt and everyone else. I don't know how I always found trouble, or if trouble just liked finding me, but honestly, how many choices did I have left? I couldn't come clean to them. They'd end up hating me no matter how this ended. Even if I wanted them to know how far I'd fallen, I had to hang in there for Zora. Until I could come up with a plan I was her only hope, and I couldn't let her down, not again.

I sighed, something I seemed to do a lot lately. I looked down to my pocket, watching Azumi rest. I had to protect her, too, from the Vexos's corruption and the pain of reality. She didn't deserve to be dragged into this, but she was my only ally right now. Plus, she was better off with me than with Lync or some other equally creepy Vexos.

My feet moved of their own accord the closer I got to the Resistance base of operations. I was nervous, wanting to turn back, but my body kept me going forward. Lync had said they'd be a few miles south of the city and he was right. The tire tracks of their RV were becoming clearer in the dirt. They were so easy to find, I realized, for a rebel movement, and I probably could have found them on my own had I not been in my current situation.

I'd have to tell them to be more careful, but I didn't doubt that Lync had other ways of finding them. Like me, the bad guy.

The RV came into view just as the last rays of daylight were fading. I stopped quite a ways away, hiding behind one of the rock formations and pulling Azumi from my pocket. She was startled, instantly tremblimg with fear, cold, or a mixture of both. Looking her firmly in the eyes, I smiled. She relaxed a little, though she questioned where we were.

"We're taking a little trip to see some friends. They're really friendly, so you don't have to be scared," I assured, smiling brightly and feeling sick for faking it.

She brightened immediately. "It sounds like fun! Miss is so lucky to have nice friends. Will they like me?"

"Of course," I replied. "They'll adore you. They each have a kind Bakugan, and they'll be your friends forever."

She cheered quietly to herself. Azumi was so naïve that I was scared for a moment, scared that I was making a mistake in lying so much. But it was for her own good. She was too innocent, and I couldn't taint her.

"One thing, though," I added. "You can't mention the Vexos, okay? Just forget we ever met them."

"But why?" she asked, voice frowning.

"Because some people don't like them, and they might get angry if you talk about them. Do you want that?"

"N-no."

"Don't worry, Azumi," I reassured softly. "Everything will be okay."

She gained her spirit back, jumping into my pocket with renewed vigor. "Will Miss tell me when to come out?"

I nodded, moving forward and putting on my best 'scared' face. It wasn't hard, considering I was already plenty frightened. It was quiet, except for the loud beating of my heart. It was deafening, and for a moment, I turned to walk away from my mission. But then the danger Zora was in crawled back into my mind, and I got my courage back. It was one thing to lie for myself, and another entirely to lie for her.

No one was outside, and I skirted their campsite, searching for a way in. I spotted a door, and I hard my hand poised to knock when a voice whispered my name.

I spun around, pressing my back against the door, eyes wide and heart racing. "Who's there?" I whispered, eyes unable to penetrate the darkness.

There was a rush of air, and suddenly, I was staring into a pair of familiar amber eyes. The same eyes I'd seen at the tournament not too long ago. The same eyes that had gotten me into this mess. Sort of.

"Nicole?" Shun asked, confused.

"Shun?" I breathed, my wide eyes easily mistaken for fear than for embarrassment. I quickly recovered myself and repeated the lines I'd rehearsed with Lync. "What…what are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing," he replied coolly, but with a smile. "You're a sight for sore eyes."

I laughed shakily as silence enveloped us, his smile burned into my memory. Why did I suddenly feel elated instead of panicked? My heart fluttered a little as he opened the RV door and led me inside.

I stared in awe at the spacious control room we were in. There were seats in front of the windshield, separated from where I stood by a railing. I walked around the railing, down the stairs, running my hand over the control panel. There seemed to be a button on every square inch of it! A single light was on above the middle the entrance, and I glanced back at Shun standing beneath it.

He looked ethereal in the light, like a dark angel of sorts, his short hair framing his handsome face and—

"Your hair!" I gasped. "_What did_ _you do_?" I couldn't believe I hadn't noticed earlier—at the tournament or a few minutes ago—but the surprise looked good for my act. Amazing how fast I thought like a criminal.

He chuckled softly, answering simply, "Cut it."

I blushed at the obviousness, ducking my head. "It looks nice." I wasn't joking either. I honestly liked it.

We stood there for a moment, Shun's piercing eyes cutting through me while I tried to avoid them. It was hard to look straight into his eyes, as I was just ogling him just moments before.

"Um…"

"Should I wake the others?" he asked quietly, making a move to leave.

"No!" I almost shouted, then caught myself. "I don't want to disturb anyone."

He nodded, understanding immediately. I let out a sigh of relief, which he misinterpreted as exhaustion.

"You're tired. Let's get you to bed." He led me to a large room just off the entrance. I idly wondered if all rooms in the RV were this big. It was set up almost like my room back home, and it brought some comfort to me.

"This is just temporary, but I think it's good enough for you." He joked.

I laughed lightly. "It's great…thank you."

"Sleep," he whispered, stepping out like a ghost. "We'll sort this out in the morning."

I nodded again, my hands trembling as he shut the door. Tears pooled in my eyes. He was only going to make betraying them harder. For Zora, though, I couldn't let him stand in the way, no matter how much I wanted him to.

Part of me wondered why he'd been so accommodating. He hadn't asked any important questions, but he had to be curious. It was in his nature. I fervently hoped that he hadn't caught on to me just yet. If anyone was going to expose my lies, it would be him. I had to be extra careful around Shun. One slip-up and I was ruined.

"Miss?" Azumi called, freeing me from my thoughts.

"What is it?" I called, wiping away the few tears that had escaped.

"Is he gone?"

"Yes," I replied quietly, pulling her out and cradling her in my open palm.

She scooted closer to the edge of my palm. "Is Miss sad?"

I forced a smile for her. "No, Azumi, just a little tired. Tomorrow's a big day."

"Ah," she cooed, settling herself on the bed.

If only I had been sad—it would have been better than being scared to death.

* * *

**_Sorry I haven't been uploading guys, I've been really busy lately with school and stuff. But, I've got a new chapter already planned out, if that's compensation._**

**_Cocoacharm15_**


	11. Chapter Ten

_**Back again in record time! I'm super excited about this chapter, so I guess it motivated me to write fast. Plus, it's a super long chapter :D I hope you all like it as much as I did! Enjoy!**_

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Chapter Ten

Nicole's POV

My life was ending. It didn't matter that Shun had so graciously accepted us into the fold. What mattered was that I was a two-faced traitor, and that I now had to act perfectly normal to everyone. My entire stay with the Resistance and Zora's future was riding on my performance.

No pressure at all.

After waking up from our short fitful nap, Shun knocked on our door, and I saw that his room was located directly across from mine. He seemed anxious for some reason, telling me that the Resistance wasn't really expecting me. I interpreted this as, one, they could choose to reject me and two, I was more likely to seem suspicious to them. I asked him for a second to make myself decent, and he conceded.

"Azumi, it's time," I whispered as soon as the door closed.

She fidgeted in my open palm. "Miss, I don't think I can do this. What if they don't like me?"

I bit my lip. I was worried about that, too. I settled for being reassuring. "They will, I just know it. Besides, you can't hide forever."

She began to sniffle, so to avoid another breakdown, I agreed to let her stay in the room for a bit longer.

"Next time I come in, you're coming with me," I stated firmly. "No buts about it."

"Yes, Miss," she trilled, elated at having avoided new people again. I didn't know quite how I was going to get her to open up more. It could become a problem in the future, and I sure didn't need more of those.

"Ready?" Shun asked as I stepped out of the room.

I nodded, considering that it was probably a good idea that she had stayed behind. I didn't want them to bring up my name or my connection to Zora. If Azumi found out about it, I would be hard-pressed to get her to function normally again. I didn't know how she was going to react to Shun as it was, since she idolized the human and Bakugan saviors of Vestroia.

We headed down the corridor to the source of loud and somewhat excited chatter coming from the commons area. Even though the room was filled with chatter, one voice towered over all the others. A certain brunette was speaking especially loud, almost as if everyone wasn't sitting within a few feet of him.

"…and I say to him, that's not my Bakugan, that's my wife!" Dan roared.

The room was filled with groans and the laughter of Dan and a violet-haired boy.

"Dan that is possibly the worst joke I've ever heard. Don't you have to be married to tell it?" a seafoam-haired boy asked in annoyance, closing his eyes as if to shut out the visual of Dan telling the joke.

"Look, you probably can't do much better," Dan argued. "Besides, we've just destroyed Alpha City. Am I the only one who wants to celebrate?"

Before the other boy could respond, Shun interrupted him with the clearing of his throat. The group turned to look at him, gasping and leaping out of their seats all at once. In a matter of seconds, Dan and Marucho launched themselves toward me, and I couldn't help but laugh. Marucho embraced me, and I hugged the little guy back, surprised to see him here. Dan just clapped me on the back and smiled that carefree smile of his. It felt good to be received by three people I'd known back on Earth and to be accepted so quickly. I let myself hope that maybe this would all work out in the end.

"Who is _she_?" the seafoam-haired guy asked, annoyed expression still in place, spitting out his question with ill-disguised venom.

"That's what I'd like to know," a girl chimed in with more authority. I hadn't noticed her before, but she seemed a lot nicer than the other boy. Her expression wasn't as harsh—maybe just curious—and I wondered how she put up with five other boys.

"How did you get here? When did you get here? Where's Zora? Are you joining the Resistance?" Dan asked enthusiastically, cramming all his questions into one breath.

"Whoa! _The_ Nicole! _Zora's_ partner and one of the saviors of Vestroia! I cannot believe I'm meeting you! I have to tell everyone. This is too cool! Look Nemus, it's her! I can't believe it. Do you think I can ask her for her number?" the violet-haired boy gushed at the same time.

I stepped back, feeling overwhelmed with their queries.

"Guys," I interrupted. "One at a time, please."

"Who is she?" the same annoyed guy shouted, exasperated.

The violet-haired boy whirled to face him. He was surprisingly muscular for his age, which I guessed at no more than thirteen. His blue eyes were wide in shock as he spoke to his comrade.

"Ace, this is Nicole from the Bakugan Battle Brawlers! She battles with Darkus like you. Geez, how do you not know this? She once held the perfect core and her Bakugan is Twilight Zora."

I gaped, amazed at how much he knew about me without knowing me at all. I'd always wanted to know how much fame the Brawlers gained after their exploits against Naga. I guess I knew the answer now: A lot.

"She doesn't seem like such a big deal to me," Ace huffed, turning his back on us, or me.

The orange-haired girl stepped forward, coming up to me and extending her hand. I shook it, and she smiled. "Don't worry about him. He always acts like this around newcomers. I'm Mira, by the way."

"Nicky," I smiled back.

"I'm Baron!" greeted the fanboy. "Are you comfortable? Are you hungry? Can I get you anything? Can I have your number?"

"Um, I'm fine, thanks…?" I replied, though it sounded like a question.

"Anyway," Dan said after an awkward silence started to settle. "How'd you get here?"

I told the truth with this one. "I don't really know…one minute I was outside and the next I was here. There's really not much to it."

"That happened to Shun," Marucho added while Shun nodded. "But tell me Nicole, how long have you been here?"

I shrugged. "A day or two, maybe. I haven't really kept track." This was mostly the truth.

"Where's Zora?" Dan wanted to know.

I had to act a little bit more for this question. "I…I don't know. Do any of you know?"

The Resistance exchanged glances. "Captured, probably, but we'll get her back," Dan assured me with his usual confidence.

I nodded slowly, pretending to be more upset than I actually was. "Could we just not mention her? I…I just—"

"Yeah, I get it. I understand," Mira answered softly, and I smiled gratefully at her. One problem down, one a billion to go.

They nodded, seemingly understanding. I waited for more questions, because surely they couldn't be this gullible, but they never came. Instead, Baron jumped up and said, "I can't believe you're going to be a member of the Resistance! This is the best day ever!"

"What?" Ace yelled. "You don't make the decisions around here, Baron. She's not joining the Resistance without earning her way in. Let's have a battle, _Nicky_."

"No fair, Ace. We were going to battle," Dan disputed. "And she just got here. She doesn't have a Bakugan or a gauntlet."

Ace shrugged, already heading outside. "It's not my problem. If she wants to stay, let her prove it."

"Ace, come back!" Mira ordered—I was quickly realizing she was the leader just by the way she carried herself—but he didn't even glance at her. She turned to me. "Ignore him. It's just him being stubborn."

I quickly weighed the pros and the cons to battling. Ace was suspicious of me and the easiest way to dispel it would be to battle. I didn't think the rest had any doubts about me, so I just had to win _him_ over. This was the easiest way to introduce Azumi to them, too, even if she refused to battle.

"I'll do it," I found myself saying to everyone's surprise.

"Nicky, you don't have to," Shun reminded me.

"And you don't have a Bakugan," Dan added.

"Actually, I do." I admitted sheepishly. "I'll go get her and meet you guys outside."

-X-

"Miss, are you sure about this?" she asked as I stood across from Ace, the RV behind me and the rest of the Resistance off the side looking worried.

And so they should be because I had absolutely no clue what I was doing. Azumi hated fighting, and I didn't have a decent Bakugan to take her place. I was going to lose, that was for sure, but I had to give it a decent try. I steeled myself, getting ready to activate the gauntlet Mira had lent me when she ran up and gave me another Bakugan.

"What's this?" I asked, looking down at the heptagonal purple Bakugan in my hand.

"It's a trap Bakugan called Windscreamer. It functions just like a normal Bakugan, and it can really help out in a pinch," she explained, wishing me luck and leaving me to my doom.

"Okay, Azumi, let's do this."

She looked up at me from my shoulder with teary eyes. "Miss, I can't do it."

"Yes, you can, I know it," I encouraged.

"Are you ready, or what?" Ace called, expression bored and disapproving.

"Yep. Gauntlet Power Strike!" I shouted.

I'll admit that I was slightly excited to battle. I'd never battled against another Darkus user, and the combination would be explosive, no doubt. If Zora had been here we would've won without a doubt because she was just so confident that she gave me confidence, too. With Azumi I didn't have very high expectations.

"You go first, newbie!"

I rolled my eyes. "Bakugan Brawl! Azumi, stand!"

Unwillingly, she took the stage and opened completely, her intimidating form taking over the whole field. The Resistance stepped back, probably wondering where I managed to find a beast like Azumi. Their surprise, however, would not last long.

"This isn't so bad, Miss," Azumi said, not shuddering in the least.

I was impressed and hoped that fear alone would get Ace to back out of the battle. But of course, that was too much to ask for. Ace quickly recovered, pulling up his sleeves and calling out, "Bakugan Brawl, Percival stand!"

And just like that, my chances of winning were ruined. Percival stood almost as tall as Azumi with a cape flowing behind him. He had a dragon-like face as well as a muscular frame and an aura of destruction. He was covered in armor-plated steel; his gauntlets alone were obviously capable of more damage that Azumi's whole body could deal. Azumi, on the other hand, had the aura of a timid field mouse, and right now she was cowering in front of Ace's Bakugan as I expected.

"Ability Activate! Darkus Driver!" We had been equal in power, but immediately, Percival's power shot up 200 Gs.

"Miss, I don't want to be here anymore!" Azumi yelped as she evaded a few preliminary shots from Percival. Of course. My only hope of somehow saving Zora was worthless. What a cruel world I was in.

"….Eh?" Ace stuttered. "What is this?" His bemused expression would have been funny if I hadn't been terribly humiliated myself. "Are you going to battle or not?"

"No!" Azumi screamed, returning to a ball on her own.

"What? I didn't know Bakugan could do that," Dan noted with interest.

Drago's familiar rumbling voice answered him, "It's possible, but most Bakugan find more honor in losing than backing out of a fight."

"This is pathetic," Ace remarked. "You're going to battle whether you want to or not. Ability Activate! Battle Marionette!"

I watched in horror as Azumi was summoned to the field again. "You can't do that…can you?"

"With Battle Marionette I can call out an opponent's Bakugan to fight and they can't be returned for the remainder of the battle." Ace smirked. "You're not going to get out of this so easily, Nicky."

Shoot shoot shoot! What could I do? There was nothing. I didn't have a plan, and Azumi looked about ready to break into tears. Then I had an idea.

"Bakugan Trap Windscreamer, stand!" My Bakugan stood up, a remarkably humanoid creature. It was encased in black robes, a stricken expression crossing its geometric features. It seemed so solid with its sharply defined dress and body, but billowy and wavy at the same time.

"Ability Activate! Broken Mirror! This card, Ace, allows Windscreamer to transfer the opposite effect of your last ability card to your Bakugan." He glared as Percival was removed from the battle and the turn ended. "You brought Azumi in, Percival goes out."

"That's it! I'm done taking it easy on you. Percival, stand!"

I shrugged, tossing in my Trap Bakugan.

"Ability Activate! Tri-gunner, plus Darkus Thunder!" He placed them both in his gauntlet, increasing Percival's power immensely.

I prepared to retaliate, but his assault was too fast and Windscreamer effectively lost the battle. I checked my gauntlet and saw that my points had been completely wiped out, meaning Ace won. I sighed as Azumi whimpered happily from my pocket.

"You call that a battle?" he taunted, walking away. "Baron can put up a better fight than you."

"Speaking of me, can I have your number?" Baron asked and Mira shot him a dark look.

"Ace," Mira warned his retreating back. We heard the door to the RV slam, leaving the five Resistance members outside with me. "Welcome aboard, Nicky. Avoid Ace while his temper cools. The rest of us are glad you're along for the ride, though."

I swallowed, feeling suddenly guilty. They were all being too nice, too naïve. _Look through my act, please!_ I wanted to scream. I didn't, though.

Dan saw my guilt and misinterpreted it as shame for Azumi. "Hey, don't worry. We'll make you two fighting machines! It might take a lot of work, but we'll get Azumi out of her shell, right, guys?"

"Yeah!" they all shouted exuberantly. Smiling, I saw Azumi peek out of my pocket, and then duck back in as soon as Marucho noticed her.

"So I can't have it?" Baron pressed, blue eyes shining happily.

Dan gave him a look that said 'Really?' but Baron ignored it.

"Can I have your autograph then?"

I looked at everyone, and they merely shrugged. "Sure, I guess."

"Yes!" he cheered, whipping out a pen and paper. "Just make it out to Your Biggest Fan Ever, Love Nicky. P.S. Here is my number…"

"Baron!"

* * *

_**Hope you liked it! The next one won't be up for a while, just warning you guys, so don't get your hopes up. I'd hate to disappoint you all. Thanks for sticking with me this far!**_

_**Cocoacharm15**_


	12. Chapter Eleven

_**Dear reader,**_

**__****It appears I really** got behind writing this, but at least it's here! It's long, it's exciting, and it's probably worth reading! Enjoy the progression of this suspense-filled story.

* * *

_Chapter 11_

_Nicole's POV_

I leaned against the window in my room, the cool glass pressing against my shoulder as I looked out. It seemed surreal, me sitting calmly within the Resistance base while most of them lounged outside and trained. Not counting Ace, how is it that they didn't suspect anything? And more importantly, how the heck was I going to keep this up?

I looked to Azumi, who'd busied herself fogging up the window and drawing flowers on it. She along was a huge problem, not to mention the intensive training she'd have to undergo. I could only hope she kept up with her naivety because I couldn't afford to have her asking questions. She probably wouldn't because she trusted me so much. It was a good thing she was so shy, I guess, though that might make or break my case at some point in the future.

"Miss?" she called, staring up at me.

"Hm?"

She shuffled around nervously before hopping onto my shoulder and pointing at the Resistance. "They look like nice people, but they tried to attack me...I'm not sure they like me…"

I smiled despite myself, wondering how she could be concerned with something so trivial while I was concerned with the fate of humanity, quite possibly. "'Course they like you." Minus Ace, I added in my head. "They just want you to get stronger."

"But I don't think I can! My master was so strong…and…"she sniffled, "…I'm so weak."

"Don't say that! You're strong, Azumi," I encouraged, pulling her down onto my palm. "You just haven't figured it out yet. We'll have to work hard, but we'll make you just as strong as Percival!"

She made a little noise like she was happy, but before she could say anything a knock came at my door.

"Come in," I called, knowing it was Shun, since he was the only one I couldn't see outside.

Sure enough, the stoic ninja walked into my room, smiling slightly. He sat down on the window seat next to me and watched as Dan and Ace began a battle.

"Everyone's waiting for you and Azumi," he said after a while, not shifting his gaze from the scene in front of him.

I nodded, noticing Azumi scrutinizing Shun. She trusted him, too, I knew. "Are you ready?"

"Um…" she began skittishly. "Maybe we could sit this one out…?"

Shun smiled gently, taking her from my hand and looking her right in the eye while Ingram stood next to her. "You have more power than you think, Azumi, and we're going to help you one step at a time, okay? And no matter what happens, we'll still like you."

"Shun is right. The Resistance stands together through thick and thin," his Bakugan added firmly.

It took her a moment to process this, but soon she was cheering and chanting about being ready for this.

I could only stare at him, amazed at how he and Ingram had basically said the same thing I had only a whole lot better. With his mission complete, he stood up and left smiling once more for us. I couldn't help but feel a little jealous at Azumi's sudden spirit because no matter what happened, they'd still like her, but the same could never apply to me.

-X-

"Master Dan, that was incredible! I can't believe you beat Ace in only one turn!" Baron gushed as I stepped outside, closing the RV door lightly.

Dan smirked. "Heh. It's all skill, Baron. Maybe one day you'll be as good as I am, right, Drago?"

Drago sighed. "Arrogance will only lead to failure, Daniel."

"Such a killjoy!"

Ace smirked at Dan's whining, adding, "Listen to Drago. At least he's got some sense."

"But Drago doesn't have a wallet," Dan pouted.

"I said _sense_, not _cents_, you airhead!"

Baron, as the youngest, found the play on words very amusing and burst into huge belly laughs while Mira, who'd been off to the side observing the battle, sighed. It'd probably already been a long day for her, and I was about to make it longer. Looking around for the other members of the group, I saw Shun leaning against the RV, shaking his head at the antics of his comrades. Marucho, on the other hand, smiled and walked over to join me.

"These three never seem to change," he said to me, laughing as Dan began to brag about a new move he'd mastered.

"Figures," I replied, cringing slightly as Baron began to make a beeline toward me. "Oh, no," I whispered to myself, but Marucho laughed slightly at my discomfort.

"Hey! Master Nicky! Wasn't that joke funny?" Baron asked, invading my personal space, his eyes looking huge from their proximity.

"Yeah. Hilarious."

Then Dan, annoyed at dealing with Ace, shouted from across the makeshift field, "Are we gonna start training?"

Azumi began to squirm in my pocket as he said this, her excitement quickly wearing off. I opened my mouth to speak but was cut short by Mira, who adamantly stated, "Of course we are! We need her to be ready for when enemies show up."

She shot me a reassuring smile while everyone else nodded in agreement, except Ace, of course. He merely shot me a withering glare and stomped back inside, slamming the door shut behind him. The group exchanged worried glances.

Perfect. If he didn't quit being difficult, he could really jeopardize my mission…unless they all thought he didn't like me because of jealousy. We were the same attribute after all. Yeah…and then if he _did_ suspect something, the rest of them wouldn't listen! Forget my earlier sarcasm, this was brilliant!

Amazing how quickly I thought like a villain.

Dan's spirit didn't seem to be dampened by Ace's lack of enthusiasm. Instead he merely shrugged in an "Oh, well" kind of way, telling me it was his loss. He ran to stand across from me on the field, pulling out Drago and grinning like a maniac. "I'm up first, Nicky, so let's get this party started!"

I forced a smile back, glancing back at Shun to see if there is any way he could get me out of this. But of course, his eyes were closed and he had an amused smirk playing on his lips. Great! He thought this was funny! Not surprisingly, this didn't make me feel any better. I bit back a sigh and pulled out Azumi, trying in vain to instill her with some of my courage (not that I had much). Drago was already on the field, and his partner waited impatiently for me to make a move.

"Okay, Azumi, just breathe and we'll be fine—"

"Oh. My. Gosh. Is that Pyrus Dragonoid?" she interrupted. Upon realizing this, she all but threw herself at the field, growing to her full size without much preamble. "I'm actually meeting, Drago!" she squealed, launching herself at the poor Bakugan and grabbing him around the neck.

"Yes!" he managed to choke out. "I'm Drago!...Dan, I could use some help!"

Dan whistled, impressed. "She's pretty good at this!" A gleam crossed his features. "But what if we add an ability card?" He held up a single card with a single design before slipping it into his gauntlet. "Ability card, activate! Fire Wall!"

"Ooooh, is that jewel where you have the core?" she asked brightly. I felt a twinge within me at the mention of the core. Then she proceeded to ask, unaware of the building fire, "Can I touch it—ahhh!"

Azumi backed up faster than lightening as the fire crawled up in between Drago and her.

"Azumi! Calm down!" I called out, but I couldn't get through to her. She'd gone from bubbly to hysterical in seconds.

"No, Mr. Drago, please don't hurt me!" she pleaded, bowing down to him from a safe distance.

"Azumi!"

She gave up bowing and instead starting running around in circles, screaming shrilly while Drago stood in the middle of the fire, dumbfounded.

"Waaahhhhh!" she wailed, collapsing in front of me and ready to sob.

Dan decided this was a good spot to end the battle and recalled Drago. "That went better than I expected," he remarked, grinning. "Good thing I have such low expectations."

Azumi returned to my hand, a ball of nerves, her small form shaking.

"That…that was terrible!" she cried. "And I looked like an idiot in front of Drago," she added in a whisper.

"No, that was great!" Dan shouted excitedly. "Okay, who's next?" He turned to the others, who all took a simultaneous step backwards.

Wow. I didn't think we'd sucked _that_ bad.

"No takers?" Dan asked, frowning slightly. "Mira?"

"You know what, Dan? Wilda hasn't been feeling too great lately, so I think we should sit this one out," Mira replied with just the right amount of concern for her Bakugan. It was pretty obvious, though, that this was just an excuse.

"Marucho, how about you?" Dan pressed, determined to find a practice partner for me.

"Uh, gee, sorry, Dan—and Nicky—but I can't seem to find Elfin anywhere. Oh well," the smaller boy answered nervously.

"Baron?"

"Sure, I'm all for it, Master Dan!" Baron shouted, smiling ear to ear. "Can we start right away, Master Nicky?"

I laughed nervously, not ready to begin another humiliating battle again. For Azumi, however, I had to pretend that this battle was going to be the best thing since sliced bread. "Yup, let's get to it!"

Azumi wasn't so ready. She shrieked out immediately at the mention of another battle. "Miss! I don't want to do this again. It's scary!"

"But Azumi! Nemus and I will go easy on you guys. It'll be fun, I promise!" Baron tried to reason with her.

It took another twenty minutes of Baron begging—which turned out to be even more annoying that Azumi begging—for her to agree to another battle. The Resistance cheered upon hearing this and immediately the battle began. Much like the battle with Drago, Baron went first and Azumi acted beyond friendly with Baron's tall Haos Bakugan. This time, though, they didn't launch an attack, leaving me to make the first move.

"Okay, Master Nicky! Make a move!" Baron shouted, grinning the whole time.

"Um, okay." I thumbed through my ability cards, picking one that seemed to be like a relatively weak one. Without having used her in a battle before, I couldn't really know what to play. "This one! Ability activate, Searing Shadow!"

Azumi, who'd merely stood there looking petrified after she'd fawned over Nemus enough, glanced at me. "I don't really know what to do, Miss!"

"Just…feel the energy or…something. I don't know! I'm not a Bakugan!" I snapped exhaustedly. She looked away from me, hurt. I tried to help her again, this time a little more soothing. "Okay, concentrate. It's a power boost, so now you can beat Nemus. Try an attack."

She gave me a confused glance. She didn't look any different, but this didn't seem to faze her. "Like this?" she asked, tackling Nemus.

Baron let out an exaggerated gasp, calling his partner. Though the hit hadn't looked too hard, Nemus was making a big show about staying down and being in pain. I stifled a giggle at the feigned distress on Baron's face.

"Looks like Nemus is down for the count!" Baron whined, giving me a cheesy smile before frowning again and sighing. "You win, Azumi."

My Bakugan looked around at Nemus and then at me. "I…I did?" A slow grin took over her features. "I did it! I won a battle! I won, I won, I won! Miss, did you see? Did you see me?"

I laughed. "I sure did! That was amazing!"

I was actually surprised that she'd believed she'd won so easily, but then again, this _was_ Azumi we were talking about. A single battle and now she was full of courage? That's what I needed! Dan, also impressed by the her sudden change in attitude, cheered our success and chatted about how much more work we could do now that we had confidence. Everyone was elated with our "win." Everyone except Ace.

Everyone had made their way back inside only to find Ace in the communal lounge, looking disgruntled. The cheery banter ended immediately.

"Are you guys done pretending to train her yet?" he asked with ill-disguised venom.

"What's wrong with you?" Dan inquired, bemused. "You missed out, by the way. You could've come along"

"Come along?" he repeated incredulously, standing up. "I'm the one who is part of this team. I shouldn't have to "_come along_" like I'm some lost puppy."

Mira sensed his hostility and decided to intervene. "Ace, this is not the time for—"

"For what, Mira?" he interrupted angrily, marching right up to her. "For the _truth_? I am not going to stand here and watch this team render itself useless by putting up with some pathetic girl and her half-brained Bakugan! She is a liability, and you know it, Mira. I don't care who she was or what she knows. Our job is to rescue the Bakugan, something we can't do with her dragging us down like dead weight. Mira, Dan, everyone, open your eyes!"

"Ace!" she yelled, his name hanging in the air with an unspoken threat.

"Don't bother," Ace snapped, coming up to me and staring me down. I didn't know how to respond to his accusations. Sure. They were probably true. But I couldn't help but think it was something else that was bothering him.

"Ace," I tried to say, but he cut me off, too.

"I hope you're happy," he whispered to me so quietly I barely caught it. "Take your Resistance, and do what you want. I'm done."

With that, Ace pushed past me, heading toward his room with an air of finality. The others stared at me, asking with their eyes what he'd said. I couldn't answer. I sat down on the spot. The others were speaking in hushed, hurried tones, but the only thing I registered was the sinking feeling in my stomach.

The dreadful feeling that despite my best intentions, I'd just crippled the Resistance, exactly like Lync would have wanted.

* * *

**_Any guesses as to what happens next?_**

**_...Huh, you mean you're not excited?_**

**_You'll change your tune when I update in less that five months! xD Thanks for reading, and leave a comment please!_**

**_Cocoacharm15_**


	13. Chapter Twelve

_**Hello! Fast update, right? It's okay to be impressed ;D**_

_**I'd like to give a big thanks to Dakotawolf447, AccessBlade, and ThatFuzzyTanGuy for their help in this story! Also, thanks to Loner Star for their review, to which I couldn't reply. Thanks for your input, Loner Star :D**_

_**Now, prepare for suspense, reader!**_

* * *

Chapter 12

Nicole's POV

_**If there was one thing I thought I knew, it was the darkness. I breathed a sigh as I stood in it, until a voice began to whisper, slowly gaining intensity.**_

"…_**running out of options," a silky voice cooed from the dark. "You're alone and without hope. What is your choice?"**_

_**For a moment, the darkness parted and a figure emerged. It was made up of colors, nothing solid really giving away. He or she was a mixture of yellow, brown, and red. Lots of red. As quickly as the figure had come, it disappeared, a confident laugh trailing behind it.**_

_**Then **_**she**_** appeared before me, desolate and broken. Her wings folded upon herself, she turned to look at me with impassive golden eyes. "What is your choice?" she asked quietly. A tear streaked down her face.**_

_**Suddenly, the darkness was replaced by a blinding light with a resounding thump and she was gone.**_

_**"What is your choice?" she said louder, her voice echoing in the light. Where was she? I couldn't find her. **_

"_**Choose, Nicole! Choose!" she started to shout, and she abruptly materialized in front of me, pushing me into a gaping hole I hadn't noticed behind me. **_

_**I was freefalling, the darkness swallowing the light from where she stood.**_

"_**What do you choose?" Her shout bounced off the walls and trickled down. I couldn't see anymore, I'd closed my eyes to the dark, afraid of what I might find.**_

"_**Choose, choose!" she chanted even louder than before.**_

_**There was a second in which I registered I would hit the bottom, but I couldn't act. There were no other options, only to fall.**_

_What do you choose?_

…

It was nighttime, that much I could tell as I woke from the dream frozen with fear. It'd been the first real dream I'd had since I'd gotten to New Vestroia. It didn't have the feel of a vision, though, and I desperately wanted to believe it was just a regular old dream.

But there was Zora, looking that way I'd seen her when Lync had showed her to me, looking so…so _real_.

Was she trying to tell me something? Was she in danger?

I slapped myself for that thought_. Of_ _course, she was in danger!_ The Vexos had her! But what did she mean, I had to choose? I certainly had plenty of things to decide between.

Maybe I was putting too much thought into it. I couldn't be sure it meant anything at all; it was just the stress getting to me.

Breathing out slowly, I glanced at Azumi on the nightstand. She seemed peaceful enough, which meant I hadn't shouted anything in my sleep or something odd like that. Preparing myself for sleep once again, I rested my head the on the pillow and turned to the side. A thump sounded from next door, but I ignored it. Probably just someone trying to get comfortable.

I closed my eyes. There was another thump followed by the sound of a drawing slamming shut. Curious, I sat up, glancing at the door. There weren't any animals around to make sounds, and everyone should have been asleep. Slipping out of bed, I moved to take a closer look, hoping it was Shun sneaking around.

It wasn't.

I pressed myself close to the wall, slinking out of my room as quietly as I could to find the source of the noise. It was coming from Ace's room. Hesitantly, I pressed my ear to the door.

"…have to go, Percival," I heard him say, barely catching it through the door.

"I don't…good idea…not sure if it's her…sure, Ace?" Percival was harder to hear, and I only caught pieces of what he was saying.

Then it got quiet. Not wanting them to catch me outside their door, I tiptoed back to my room and closed the door. I sucked in a breath, an icy feeling in my stomach. He was _really_ leaving. It was my fault. He was leaving because of _me_. I could stop him, though, if I walked out and confronted him. _Just walk out, just stop him._

I didn't. I was frozen in place, actually wondering whether it'd be better for me if he was gone or not.

It was minutes before their own door opened and I heard them walking down the hallway. There was a pause in their footsteps just past my door.

Ace whispered, "I have to grab the coordinates to Beta City. Then we'll go."

_Now_, I thought to myself. _Go for it!_ I stood this time, ready to go out and beg—if I had to—for him to stay.

His footsteps returned from the control room and headed to the door. I heard the RV door open and close lightly. I crossed to peek out the window, seeing Ace standing outside with a bag on his shoulder. He was facing away from me, but I could tell he was talking with someone, probably Percival. He threw a nostalgic glance back at the RV, and I ducked out of sight.

He began to walk.

_Ace!_ I shouted in my mind. _Go after him! Get him to stay!_ _You can still catch him!_

I flattened my palms against the window, still shouting at myself to move when he was long out of sight.

-X-

There was a commotion outside my door. They were shouting and accusing and pointing fingers, but more than that, they were waiting. Waiting for me to tell them what he'd told me. Waiting for Ace to come out of some hiding spot and tell him he wasn't really leaving, that it was just a little prank he'd thought to play on them. Mira would snap at him that it wasn't funny, but soon it'd be okay. Everything would be okay.

Thing is, it wasn't.

He was really gone.

I showed up, I forced him to choose, and worst of all, I let him go.

I stood there and did nothing but watch as he left.

I curled up tighter in my bed, wishing that they'd all stop crowding around me for something I couldn't give them. Squeezing my eyes shut, I heard the sounds of the Resistance fade, and then a single knock on the door.

"Nicky?" It was Mira. She spoke tentatively as if she was unsure of what she was doing. It sounded odd coming from her.

I glanced at Azumi, still fast asleep. It was still early after all, and after yesterday, I didn't think she'd be up for a while. It wouldn't be so bad to let Mira in, right?

She knocked once more, and I opened the door for her, not caring that I was dressed in pajamas. For some reason, Mira looked distraught, worry evident in her expression. She stared at me for a moment before I invited her in. I crawled back into bed, my back facing her, and looked out the window. If I stared hard enough, I could remember the path he'd taken away from here.

"He's gone," she stated quietly, the words hanging heavily in the air.

I turned toward her and sat up, clearing my throat before answering just as quietly. "I know."

Minutes passed and she didn't answer. It occurred to me that Ace had been the first to join her in her quest to fight the Vexos. It was obvious from the way he opposed her and how she seemed more likely to speak down to him than the others. It was a unique relationship those two hand, more solid and daring than what she had with the others.

"He said something to that effect yesterday," I offered slowly. I saw her eyes narrow in confusion, and I elaborated. "After training. He said that he was done."

She glanced at me for a moment, sitting there and looking so vulnerable for a Resistance leader. She opened her mouth to speak, but no sound came out.

"I didn't believe him." I drew my knees up and wrapped my arms around them. "It was my fault. I did it."

"What? No! It was just Ace being childish! It wasn't your fault," she countered vehemently, rising to her feet.

It honestly surprised me. I didn't expect her to take my side after something like that. But she did. It didn't make any sense at all!

"But—"

"No, Nicky, no buts. Ace is going to come back. He cares too much about m…about his mission to abandon it, and he can't do it alone. He'll be back! Just you wait," she explained with a quiet passion in her eyes. It seemed like she was trying to reassure herself that it would turn out that way. I wasn't so sure, but I could pretend to see it her way. It was, after all, what I'd been doing all along.

-X-

The others were quick to reassure me that they didn't blame me for what had happened with Ace. Like Mira, most of them believed that he'd show up one day or another—with a wounded pride, but show up nonetheless. Shun, I think, was the only exception. He didn't delude himself with fantasies of Ace's return, and though he was the newest Resistance member, I think he understood Ace the best.

I still carried the blame, though, because that just how it was. No matter what they said, it was my fault. Throughout the whole the day one person after another tried to tell me not to worry, to remember that Ace was petulant by nature and anyone could set him off.

To get my mind off of what the others deemed as brooding, we trained. It seemed to work for a bit, if I concentrated hard enough. I could pretend that all I wanted was for Azumi to stand for herself, but I kept seeing the flash in Ace's eyes when we'd first battled. The surprise. The disappointment. The animosity.

Baron, Dan, and Marucho all acted like it'd be fine. They really believed their leader was right about the Darkus Brawler. Well, I wanted to believe her, too, but a whole lot of good that was doing. They all assured me it wasn't my fault because they hadn't seen me stand there and act like an idiot. If they knew, I'm sure I wouldn't be getting the soothing treatment they were giving me now.

Azumi was slowly improving, though, so I let myself get distracted from my guilt. Of course, the distraction never lasted as long as I needed it to.

-X-

It was night again, a night exactly like the one before. When Ace left. It was silent inside, but I could almost feel the tension still hovering in the air, and I knew that no one was getting much sleep. It wouldn't happen, not tonight. Dinner with them had been so quiet that the sound of a pin being dropped could be heard. It was like the more they told me it'd be okay, the less they believed it.

I let out a sigh, not realizing how late it was. All I wanted to do was disappear. It'd been one mess after another as soon as I got here, so really, what use could I be to Lync, much less to the Resistance? The silence coupled with the guilt was suffocating, the need to scream overwhelming.

But in the darkness there was a quiet voice, a girl's voice. It was calling Dan! It seemed familiar to me for some reason, though I couldn't exactly remember where I'd heard it.

There was a shuffling sound in the boy's room next to me. I looked outside just in time to see Dan hurrying down the corridor, heading outside. "Runo?" he asked, disbelieving.

I followed him, knowing it was highly possible that she was actually here. I mean, _I_ made it, after all. The night air was chilly—it smelled like burning rubber, for some reason—and I pulled my clothes tighter to me. Soon everyone was outside, drawn to the voice like bees to flowers. The Resistance seemed as perplexed as I was; Dan was the only one looking focused as he searched for the source of his beloved's voice.

In a bright flash of light, Runo—or rather, Runo's silhouette—appeared in front of us. She wasn't whole, just a shadow, but it was enough to cause a reaction between the two. I looked away while they reunited, not entirely comfortable with looking upon their moment.

"Dr. Michael! Can you hear me?" Dan shouted up to the heavens, trying to get in touch with Earth and a way to return Runo to normal.

Surprisingly, the good doctor heard him and gave him coordinates for another portal. She just had to get through and she'd be back to normal. The Resistance crowded back into the RV, the ride silent and tense.

"So you two ended up here, too?" she asked Shun and I as we approached our destination. The dimensional portal shimmered in the distance. "Um, I mean, in one piece…but I'm glad you're here with him, Shun, Nicole."

I smiled genuinely for the first time since I'd gotten to New Vestroia while Shun added a "Me, too," also smiling. I understood where she was coming from, being worried for those she had no clue as to their whereabouts. I felt the same about Zora.

Outside, the space between us and the portal didn't seem too far, but no one was counting on the appearance of one disgustingly disheveled Vexos. Or at least, I assumed he was a Vexos, since he was blocking our way. Plus, he seemed unfriendly and that tongue was really starting to creep me out!

"Shadow Prove," Dan hissed, and I knew I was right. About him being a Vexos, I mean. I stood behind the others, hoping that this Vexos wouldn't see me and blurt out my true intentions, if he knew them.

"Sorry, kiddos, but I've got orders from Hydron not to let you pass," he spat, grinning stupidly. He directed a pointed glance at me—it was so short that I almost believed I'd imagined it—but I understood that he knew. This Shadow Prove realized I wasn't just a new addition to the Resistance; I was Lync's innermost instrument to their destruction.

Dan got into his fighting stance, preparing to move Shadow out of the way through a brawl. Marucho, however, deemed this a good moment to be altruistic.

"Get Runo to the portal. You don't have time to waste on a guy in fur and tights!" the small boy decided with determination.

Little Marucho put his gauntlet on and summoned Elfin onto the field. Shadow retaliated by summoning his own Bakugan, a Darkus attributed mechanical beast. Without even meaning to think about it, the guilt over Ace returned tenfold and I stepped back from the Resistance. I didn't want to be near them, didn't want them to feel my betrayal like I felt it right then. Shadow, like he read my mind, winked at me and found my horrified expression highly amusing, judging by the way his tongue lolled to the side in a makeshift grin. Then he decided to play dirty. He didn't attack Elfin at all, choosing to have his mechanical Bakugan aim and shoot at Runo and Dan.

I couldn't take it anymore, everything was happening too fast. Ace's decision, the arrival of the Vexos, everything! I kept backing up, no one noticing I was escaping, but I didn't notice a small shadow sneaking up on me until I was dragged behind a dune with surprising strength.

I readied a scream which died in my throat as I detected mischievous seafoam green eyes. _Oh. No._

"Well, well, well. We meet again, Miss Traitor," Lync teased maliciously.

I swallowed loudly, suddenly aware of my heart thumping so hard in my chest that Lync could probably hear it. I couldn't say anything, pinned underneath his childish stare.

"Aw, Tigrerra got your tongue?" he cooed, then chuckled at his own cleverness. "You're doing well at becoming one of them. I'd almost say they trust you completely. Right now you have to stop them from getting to Beta City. I'll send you exact details as to how in the next few hours."

Managing a nod, I took a shuddering breath. "Where's Zora?"

He shot me a sly look. "Huh, Zora? I'd say she's fine. Moved her exactly like I promised." His eyes shifted to the left as did mine. A flash of red moved forward.

Lync's next words were rushed. "Now keep up the infiltration, Nicky. Wouldn't want anything to happen to little old Zora." He winked at me before dashing off after the red.

I sunk into the sand, sifting through the information the small boy had given me. Keep them from Beta City. Easy enough, right? The only thing I could be happy for is that Azumi could practically sleep through anything. Though I'd slipped her into my pocket when I'd first wandered outside, she hadn't seemed inclined to join the world of the living.

With lead feet, I headed back to the others, just in time to see Baron slip into the portal before it closed off. Marucho had won, since he was standing rather proudly. His confidence, however, faded when Shadow ran off with a silly wave at me and he found himself nearly alone in the darkness.

Everyone had gone through the portal except Marucho, Shun, and myself.

All in all, it was expected. I had terrible luck. It only seemed right that the greatest obstacles to my newest mission were the ones I was left with.

But it was for Zora. I couldn't back out now and abandon her to those gross Vexos.

_What do you choose?_

This.

This is what I choose.

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_**Uh oh, trouble ahead! Whatever happens from now on is anybody's guess really. The next chapter, though, will go back to Zora, so stay tuned for that :D I have plenty of plot twists to bring up, hehe.**_

_**Leave a review, and till next time~!**_

_**Cocoacharm15**_


	14. Chapter Thirteen

**_Another chapter, a little delayed this time. I'd just like to thank _briata_ for their review, which I couldn't respond to. Thanks for the encouragement and enjoy!_**

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Chapter 13

Zora's POV

It was hard adapting to a caged life. I suppose it wasn't much different from life on Earth, really, except Earth hadn't felt like hell times ten. The only good thing was that I hadn't lost _all_ sense of how long I'd been in here. I'd managed to scratch the metal floor every time I thought it had been 24 hours, and I was pretty sure it was accurate. That way, when I got out, I'd pummel the Vexos once for every day I'd been trapped plus one just for kicks.

The one thing I had lost was my hope, not that I'd had much to begin with. Who, honestly, was coming for me? I didn't have any family; I didn't have any friends. I was alone.

There was that freak Azumi, who for all her annoyance, cared about me at least a little bit. But she was too scared to make a move, if she hadn't already gotten captured by the Vexos.

That only left Nicole. She was a friend, right?

But she was on Earth, and I was on New Vestroia. She didn't even know I was caught, and even if I had some way of contacting her, I wouldn't lower myself to begging for help. Even behind bars, I still had my dignity.

It's not like she'd come, anyway.

I didn't really mean anything to anyone. After all, who could care about some feisty pint-sized Bakugan with an attitude problem?

No one.

I'd been alone most of my life, living without the need to depend on anyone. It suited me better because I only ended up pushing people away. Once when I was younger I'd met a Bakugan—Darkus, like me—but with power and the strength to defend all of our kind. He was the first one who'd really taken the time to get to know me. He'd always said that my attitude wouldn't win anyone over, but he trained me and taught me to fight, nonetheless. He was almost like a father to me. Of course, it turned out that he was destined to become the Darkus Legendary Soldier, leaving me alone once again.

After that I met James, and I was so convinced that we would be partners forever. He was the second person I trusted. I'd felt so angry, and maybe even hurt, when he'd passed away that I wouldn't trust any other battler, especially not someone weak like Nicole. I didn't want to feel vulnerable again, so I suppose I tried to stick to people who would protect me, not to those I would have to protect. Things, however, didn't turn out so well with him, either. He turned out to be a liar and a backstabbing scoundrel.

Finally, I gave into Nicole, battling with her against my better judgment. Ironically, the person I didn't want to trust was the only one who hadn't abandoned me; instead, I'd abandoned her. That knowledge didn't sit well with me.

Before I could wallow in self-pity even more, a humming sound distracted me from my rather depressing thoughts. A tall red-clad figure stepped into the room. Spectra. It hadn't been long since his last visit. Still, I smiled a bit and stretched my wings as much as I could.

"Expecting a visit, are we?" Spectra drawled as he approached, placing a gloved hand on his hip.

I snorted my denial. "Hardly. I'm just surprised that you've come so soon. Is there something you want?"

It was a rhetorical question. Of course he wanted something. He always came for a reason, though why he came so soon was beyond me.

"Always assuming I don't have the best intentions. Your distrust amazes me, Zora. I merely stopped by to see how you were faring alone," he replied charmingly.

"I'll bet," I spat back sarcastically. I noticed that the spot at his side was surprisingly vacant. Smirking, I asked, "Where's your pet? Did he get a time out for being naughty?"

"Gus shall arrive shortly. He is merely preparing for our departure."

"Finally found something exciting to do, huh?" I teased, noticing his sudden tenseness. "Maybe you'll decide to update your wardrobe, too. Times are changing, I hear."

He chuckled slowly, shaking his blonde head. "Try as you might, Zora, you just can't seem to shake the fact that you're suffering from loneliness. It's endearing, really. But what if I told you there was a way out? Would you take it? No matter the cost?"

"Don't bluff. It's not becoming of a lunatic," I retorted with less sting than I had intended. I was interested in freedom, don't get me wrong, but at what cost? Even I had to question that.

"I've got your attention, I see," he remarked like he'd won a battle or something. I let his statement hang in the air without reply. I wanted him to speak more without me asking for details. "Not going to ask? I suppose I'll have to tell you myself."

He paused, a noise outside the doors breaking my concentration for a minute.

"I have information you might want to know," Spectra stated with a seriousness I hadn't seen on him. "It relates to the Vexos and their plots. In exchange for this information, however, you shall have to obey my commands. You shall secure your liberty, I assure you, but only at my discretion. This is all assuming you agree, of course."

He must have been joking! There was no way I'd ever stoop to his level. I'd been trapped a long time, but not long enough to trust Spectra.

"You're out of options and out of hope," he added cynically, a smooth desperation under his words. "How many offers like this do you expect to receive?"

I considered spitting my earlier thoughts to him right now, but stopped short when I realized that he was right. He was the only one who came to visit, let alone spoke to me. My chances of escape rested with him. He would also be giving me information that I could use to destroy the Vexos. If I agreed to work for him, how difficult could it be to get away from him? Surely not so much. I'd never seen him with a Bakugan inside this room, so he must not keep a close eye on his partner. If Spectra had me, I'm sure I'd get the same autonomy.

I found myself saying yes before I'd even consciously decided to agree. Spectra himself looked like he was surprised at my answer.

"There will be no turning back, Zora. Are you quite sure of your choice?" he questioned once more, a smirk crossing his lips.

I smirked back at him, already planning how to get one over on him once he let me go. "Of course I am. Are you having second thoughts, Spectra?"

He merely stepped forward, repeating my earlier remark. "Hardly." He placed a small cylindrical device inside my cage. "This will tell you what you want to know. Until next time, Twilight Zora."

Spectra Phantom turned and waved one hand over his shoulder in a goodbye gesture, leaving without another word. I suppose he was trying to prevent breaking into song at how ecstatic he was with me joining him. Ha ha! Yeah, right.

Once I was sure he was gone, I slumped back against the adamant bars, thinking over the deal I'd just made. I didn't have a clue what the hell I'd do with any information I got against the Vexos, much less actually put it to use under Spectra's command. What had I gotten myself into?

-X-

I waited for the small amount of natural light available to filter out of the room before I looked at that pod-thing Spectra had left. It was a light blue color with a perforation lengthwise down the middle. It was a little small for my hands, but a larger Bakugan would have had much more trouble.

Sliding it open carefully, it expanded like a scroll, only the middle of it was a hologram. Glowing words appeared across the top, continuing to the bottom of the page. Curious, I began to read. It was almost like someone had written these paragraphs, which seemed to continue without end, with no intention of having anyone else read it. Like a diary.

I reached a break in the writing of what seemed the latest entry. Neatly underneath the sentences were the words:

_WW,_

_Mylene Pharaoh_

It _was_ a diary! And better yet, it belonged to the nasty blue-haired buffoon who'd captured me. I was slightly impressed with Spectra's ability to cart off this secret piece of literature without her knowing and without any remorse on his part. The most recent entry alone was gold!

Trying to be a good sport, I flipped to the first entry, intending to read it from the beginning. Of course, the first entry was pretty basic, so I skipped it.

"Shadow…Shadow…Shadow…Spectra?" I gasped, reading through that entry with interest. I stared into the dark with a smirk. She was _so_ the type to crush on the leader, though what was so special about Shadow (he was mentioned so much for often than Spectra) eluded me. I continued to read, asking myself, "Where's the crap about the secret plans?"

I'd spoken too soon. The next entry was my jackpot.

_I don't see how this plan can fail, but Spectra says we should be careful with what we're doing. Sometimes he becomes one of those freaks preaching about how messing too much with nature will come back to haunt us. Other times he's the one encouraging us to work harder and better, to get stronger. Who understands him anyway?_

It figured that Spectra was schizophrenic. Or bipolar. Or both. It's just my luck to learn this _after_ I agree to work for the guy.

_But the plan is a good one. I'm sure of it. Spectra's only told Gus about the particulars—he trusts him the most for some reason, and I have the sneaking suspicion he's gay. Gus, not Spectra. _

I laughed loudly at this point.

_Anyway, Clay is just finishing the final touches on the new machine that Spectra came up with. Hydron seems pleased, but it's hard to tell with him. It's supposed to gather dark energy to create some sort of power that the Vexos can harness. We're testing it out tomorrow, so we'll see how that goes. Maybe I can pry more details out of Spectra._

_WW,_

_Mylene Pharaoh_

A machine that gathers dark energy? I'd never heard of such a thing. Checking the date, I found that this plan had happened almost right before I got captured. It didn't make sense. There was no way the Vexos had already planned an attack, and I hadn't noticed it. It was possible, of course, but not likely. Needing more answers, I looked to the next entry.

_We've begun drifting over an area particularly inhabited by Darkus Bakugan. They're the ones with the most dark energy, according to Clay. The process to gather said energy is a lot more complicated than I'd given it credit for. First, we have to stun or anesthetize the Bakugan. If we don't, they'll know we're up to something and fight back—or worse, rebel. They'll wake up like it's been a dream. Then, the machine reaches down and engulfs an area with its hose-like appendage. The darkness is then absorbed through it. It's collected and stored deep inside the ship. Only Spectra knows what it'll be used for._

The process sounded even more unbelievable than the machine itself! What did Spectra take me for, an idiot? Well, it wasn't happening. No way was I going to believe this bull, but I kept reading anyway, just to see what they could come up with.

_We didn't have the manpower, time, or equipment to perform this experiment everywhere, so we only chose a few selects areas. But something was happening. When we removed the dark energy from some Bakugan who based their power almost entirely on it, then those Bakugan changed. They became pitiful and weak. We only needed their energy, however, so we didn't interfere with their fates afterward._

I had no clue as to what _that_ meant. Next entry.

_Forbidden cards. That's what Spectra had been making with Clay. He needed pure, unadulterated negative power to create these cards that released said energy into a Bakugan, making them fighting machines. I didn't think that such raw enhancement was possible. Regular ability cards seemed like they worked well enough._

_But Spectra always wants more. More power. More wins. Just more. I hope he hasn't gone too far this time._

_He says they're like an insurance policy, in case something goes wrong and that he won't use them until the time is right. It's a lie. He'll use them the minute Hydron blinks. Still, the next phase of the plan is distracting everyone. We need to capture all the Bakugan, according to Hydron, especially the strong ones. He wants them as trophies and as experiments. What'll the little brat come up with next?_

Not for the first time, I had more questions than answers. Assuming Spectra wasn't being an ass and that this was all real, I didn't really understand what it all meant. So they'd created these machines to suck up dark energy and create super powerful ability cards, but then captured the Bakugan to experiment on them? It seemed like an awful lot of trouble for a whole lot of nothing. I got the feeling that I was missing something. Something important.

The rest of the entries didn't offer any enlightenment. They just talked about Shadow and stupidity (they were partners, but did that mean she had to talk about him _all_ the time? No!).

With a sigh, I closed the journal, setting it to the side. I kept thinking of what Spectra had said about not turning back. His statement haunted me more now than when he actually said it. Something about the secrets in the journal and his words made me feel like I was walking into a trap. Was it possible for me to be even more trapped than I already was? It sure felt like it.

Maybe I was just being paranoid. Too much time here had made me soft. Well, regardless of what would happen to me, I had to fight for my freedom and against Spectra and the Vexos. If I couldn't win, then at least I'd die trying.

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**_I hope I explained everything well enough in this chapter because what Zora has learned will come up again. Any questions, feel free to ask. Thanks for reading!_**

**_Cocoacharm15_**


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